Saints entered head coach search at the right time

By Ross Jackson

A second playoff team has fired its head coach. Like the Pittsburgh Steelers last week, the Buffalo Bills decided to move on without head coach Sean McDermott after another year of not being able to get over the playoff hump. With two playoff teams and other enticing jobs like the Baltimore Ravens and Tennessee Titans all open this offseason, the New Orleans Saints made the right choice to make their switch ahead of the 2025 season..

New Orleans’ decision to embark upon a head coach search during the 2025 offseason is looking better by the day. Had the team decided to give another year or hire a stop-gap option, the limited pool of candidates combined with the high-profile jobs that are open would have put the Saints in an awful position.

Last year, New Orleans competed with teams like the New York Jets, Las Vegas Raiders, Jacksonville Jaguars and New England Patriots. All of whom, at the time, were seen as less desirable jobs than those that are open in 2026.

With candidates available last year such as Kellen Moore (the Saints’ eventual hire), Ben Johnson, Liam Coen and Mike Vrabel, the talent on the market was also top-notch. Other candidates like Aaron Glenn and Joe Brady were also viewed as high-level options.

In 2026, the biggest fish available, John Harbaugh, is already saddled up with the New York Giants and the next-best option, Kevin Stefanski, is headed to the Atlanta Falcons.

That leaves eight jobs open, after the Bills added their name to the hat, with few proven options available to hire. But with high-caliber teams like the Bills, Ravens, and Steelers with open jobs along with the Titans who have their franchise quarterback and a boatload of open cap space, any premium hiring options will be tough to land.

New Orleans, by going after their guy last year, has avoided a potential disaster trying to compete with the quality teams that are hiring from an underwhelming selection of candidates.