Kellen Moore came for the Super Bowl, and will stick around for a new gig
As noted by Adam Schefter of ESPN.com, Moore is expected to be named the Saints new head coach.
The fact that the Saints are the only team without a head coach, coupled by the reality that Moore is the only assistant coach from either team to interview for the job, has made the team's plans a fairly open secret.
Still, as we learned seven years ago when then-Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels jilted the Colts, nothing is done until it's done.
When today's game is done, chances are that Moore will be starting sooner than later his tenure as new coach of the New Orleans Saints.
The 36-year-old Moore spent 2024 as Philly's offensive coordinator. He had the same job with the Chargers in 2023. Before that, he spent four years as the Cowboys' offensive coordinator.

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USA Today
28 minutes ago
- USA Today
Eagles' impressive cornerback duo seeks more recognition entering their second year
Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean enter year two wanting more after spectacular Eagles debuts Days pass, and every time we watch Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean, we become more impressed with how talented they are. Defensive Rookie of the Year finalists in their first NFL season, they helped the Philadelphia Eagles add another Lombardi Trophy to the shelf. That made both men champions in the first year of their professional careers. How's that for an introduction? The question now is what comes next? Perhaps they could help win it all again? It would be the best scenario. It would seem they'd be spoiled now, right? It would seem after that level of baptism into professional football, anything less than a confetti shower is a letdown. Two phenomenal Eagles defenders enter year two after the best debuts they could have offered. Here's a serious question, though. How good can these guys become? It feels like Mitchell is so polished that he is taken for granted. He makes plays at practice. No one blinks or mentions anything. Maybe we've just settled into believing that his genius is to be expected. And, it is. We've heard all of the theories about Philadelphia's desire to have him travel with the other team's best wide receiver. No one objects, but he's only one man. Let's hope the Eagles' coaching staff doesn't burn this guy out. He's much too valuable. DeJean has reached rockstar status. That isn't an exaggeration. He turned 22 years old on Super Bowl Sunday, but he's almost like a teen idol in a helmet. Never will his pick-six off Patrick Mahomes' arm be forgotten, the first interception by an Eagle ever in a Super Bowl. DeJean lends his talents to his Exciting Mics podcast with Reed Blankenship. Sure, we know DeJean has personality. We know Blenkenship is one of the stabilizing voices on defense. We often help teammates with alignment, but truth be told, we weren't sure a podcast was coming. Oh, and about that DROY thing... Unfortunately, they didn't win, but it's hard to beat edge rushers who track down quarterbacks for a living. As the season went on, Jared Verse felt like a shoo-in. Sheesh... Can you imagine if that guy had played with Aaron Donald? Mitchell and DeJean have nothing to hang their heads about, though. They're both co-Defensive Rookie of the Year winners in our book. So, here we are... Year two... Philadelphia fans, we know this isn't your biggest strength, but we implore you all to be patient. Sophomore slumps happen, and even though we don't expect these two to endure one, we know adversity will come because they'll be tested more now that teams have a year's worth of film on them. In the end, however, you can expect continued excellence. There will be ups and downs, but there will be more upward swings than downward performances. That's what we expect from the 2025 first and second-rounder. It's going to be a whole heck of a lot of fun to watch these two grow up together.


USA Today
28 minutes ago
- USA Today
Sean Payton says story of Saints' walk-on player would be a better movie than 'Invincible'
Sean Payton will happily procure talent from anywhere. The Denver Broncos' coach has repeatedly said it doesn't matter if the player is a high draft pick, a low draft pick, a big free agency signing or an undrafted free agent addition. If the player proves they can play, they'll get an opportunity -- even over more high-profile teammates. A great example of that is former New Orleans Saints wide receiver Michael Lewis, who played under Payton in 2006. "We had a returner in New Orleans that never played high school or college football," Payton told Denver reporters last week. "Do you guys remember the days where they would literally have an open tryout? Guys would show up in blue jeans and coaches would be patient enough timing 40-[yard dashes]. This Michael Lewis shows up, he's working two doors down at the Budweiser factory. [He] runs one of these 40s, and everyone looks at their watch and you're only supposed to run one. Then they said, 'Mike, would you run another one for us?' Sure enough, he goes and runs another one and then, 'All right, we're going to invite you to…' "Then he comes, and he's at training camp, and then he makes the 53-[man roster] and a few years later, he's the Pro Bowl punt returner. That's a movie, 'Beer Man.' That's a lot better than the Vince Papale story. Every time I'd see him in the hallway, I said, 'I want the rights.' He played for me, and he works still for the Saints. It's an amazing story and I tell this story because it's better. It was dark [near the Saints facility on] Airline Drive. He made the wrong right-handed turn. Instead of the Budweiser, two doors down were the Saints. That's pretty amazing. We're rooting for them all.' Payton said the story would make a better movie than "Invincible," a popular film about Vince Papale starring Mark Wahlberg. Statistically, Payton's right. Papale spent three seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles and he had one 15-yard catch in 41 appearances. He was also a key special teams player and recovered two fumbles. In typical Hollywood fashion, the movie does not mention that Papale had two years of semipro football experience before joining the Eagles. Lewis also played indoor and semipro football before joining the Saints, and he spent part of the 2000 offseason with the Eagles before being cut. He tried out for New Orleans in 2001 and was named a first-team All-Pro and Pro Bowler after leading the NFL in kickoff (625) and punt return (1,807) yards in 2002. Lewis spent six seasons with the Saints and he holds franchise records for punt return yards (1,482) and kickoff return yards (5,903). He also holds an NFL record for the most combined return yards in a single season (2,432 in 2002). A member of the Saints Hall of Fame, Lewis totaled 8,377 all-purpose yards and scored five touchdowns in his career. In terms of NFL success, that's a way better story than "Invincible." Lewis approved the development of a movie about his career in 2019, but it's hard to find any recent updates on the status of that film. If the movie is eventually made, it will be a must-watch for all football fans. Social: Follow Broncos Wire on Facebook and Twitter/X! Did you know: These 25 celebrities are Broncos fans.

Miami Herald
2 hours ago
- Miami Herald
After offseason of buildup, projections for Florida Gators' daunting 2025 slate
If it were not for the final three weeks of the regular season last November, Florida football would be dragging into the 2025 season without much optimism. Due to the SEC's scheduling practices, UF faces the same schedule, save for a pair of non-conference switchups. That means the Gators, who faced six ranked opponents last season, are slated to meet seven teams that debuted in the preseason Associated Press Top 25. Four of UF's opponents (Texas, Georgia, LSU and Miami) project as top 10 teams. That is to say, concern would litter Gainesville had Florida not concluded 2024 with four straight wins, including two home victories over No. 21 LSU and No. 9 Ole Miss. But with the ascension of star quarterback DJ Lagway and a defense that ranked in the top 10 nationally over the final month of last season, Florida should expect to be in contention for a College Football Playoff berth for the first time since 2020. Here is a breakdown of UF football's schedule and how that could happen. Aug. 30 vs. LIU (7 p.m., SEC Network+): The Sharks return starting quarterback Ethan Greenwood, who led the team in rushing and passing with roughly 900 yards apiece. He is an FCS Preseason Third-Team All-American, but the key word there is 'FCS.' While every Florida fan remembers the trauma of losing to then-FCS Georgia Southern in 2013, this should be a walkover. Florida 42-7 Sept. 6 vs. USF (4:15 p.m., SEC Network): South Florida has a good coach in Alex Golesh, who guided the Bulls to consecutive bowl appearances in his first two years in Tampa. He brings back quarterback Byrum Brown, who finished 2023 with 37 total touchdowns but missed eight games last year with a leg injury. This could serve as an in-state trap for UF as it looks ahead to SEC play next week, but the Gators defense should be able to tame an innovative USF attack. Florida 34-14 Sept. 13 at LSU (7:30 p.m., ABC): Nothing like opening SEC play in Death Valley, where Florida has not won since 2016. The Tigers arguably return the most high-level contributors of any SEC team, including quarterback Garrett Nussmeier. While Florida's offense should hum, home-field advantage and the experience of Nussmeier and All-American linebacker Whit Weeks could be the difference for the Tigers. LSU 38-28. Sept. 20 at Miami (TBA): The Gators have 14 players from greater South Florida, so this will be a homecoming of sorts. But it's also an opportunity for revenge after the Hurricanes leveled UF 41-17 to open the season last year at The Swamp. Florida also knows new Miami quarterback Carson Beck well from his Georgia days, and should notch its first victory over the familiar foe. Florida 27-23 Oct. 4 vs. Texas (TBA): Last year, when the Gators traveled to Austin to face Texas for the first time since pre-World War II (1940), they got demolished 49-17 by a well-oiled Longhorn machine. This year, the matchup features arguably the two highest-profile collegiate quarterbacks in Lagway and Arch Manning, and should be an offensive affair. Florida does not have the firepower or experience, though, to outlast the Longhorns. Texas 39-24. Oct. 11 at Texas A&M (TBA): Kyle Field is as tough an environment as any, especially if this game falls at night. The Aggies also return quarterback Marcel Reed, who single-handedly threatened Florida coach Billy Napier's job in Texas A&M's 33-14 win last September. But the Aggies' defense should be worse than its 35th ranking in scoring last year, and also features a pair of former Gators edge T.J. Searcy and linebacker Scooby Williams. Florida 24-21 Oct. 18 vs. Mississippi State (TBA): The Bulldogs are the worst team in the SEC, and last year, they gave UF the jolt of life it needed in September when the Gators won in Starkville 45-28. This season, they will travel to Gainesville, and this could be an opportunity for UF's new receivers, freshman Dallas Wilson and redshirt senior J. Michael Sturdivant, to get into rhythm before the second bye week. Florida 52-21 Nov. 1 vs. Georgia (Jacksonville, 3:30 p.m., ABC): Florida has lost seven of the last eight contests of the World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party. Gators fans' ears are accustomed to ringing from barking for at least a week into early November. This year should prove to be a more even contest, but Georgia still has the pedigree to pull out a rivalry win. Georgia 27-19 Nov. 8 at Kentucky (TBA): Florida has struggled in Lexington lately, losing its last two visits. This should be the moment UF gets back to its winning ways of a decade ago, tossing around a significantly less talented SEC foe. Florida 40-17 Nov. 15 at Ole Miss (TBA): Florida ended the Rebels' playoff hopes last season in its 24-17 late-November win that has sponsored much of the Gators' optimism entering this year. Lane Kiffin has proven he can reset his offense, so replacing Jaxson Dart with Austin Simmons shouldn't be an issue. Expect the Rebels to return the favor at home. Ole Miss 33-28 Nov. 22 vs. Tennessee (TBA): The Vols vs. Gators rivalry has leaned one direction since the century mark, but with two Tennessee wins in three years, this is a chance for Florida to reestablish its dominance. Tennessee welcomes a new quarterback, Joey Aguilar, after the Nico Iamaleava saga, and Lagway's comfortability at home should help outlast the new signal caller. Florida 21-17 Nov. 29 vs. Florida State (TBA): Florida State is rebuilding from its worst season since 1974, going 2-10. While the Seminoles will see marked improvement, venturing to The Swamp post-Thanksgiving should yield poor results as Florida's offense is much more dynamic than the quarterback Thomas Castellanos-led Seminoles. Florida 36-22 The Verdict - 8-4: Returning a bevy of defensive talent, coupled with an offense that has star-caliber skill position pieces like receiver Eugene Wilson III and running back Jadan Baugh, the Gators should make the jump from middling to wandering near the CFP border. At 8-4, they are just on the outside of the playoff looking in, sitting somewhere in the No. 13-16 ranking range.