Shortly after Kellen Moore helped the Philadelphia Eagles win Super Bowl LIX while serving as their offensive coordinator, the New Orleans Saints officially hired him to be their next head coach.
During a Wednesday appearance on "The Jim Rome Show," Saints pass-rusher Cameron Jordan discussed how he and his teammates can make life easier for Moore as the 36-year-old prepares to lead an NFL training camp as a head coach for the first time.
"Anytime you have a head coach -- young, old, indifferent -- you gotta be able to buy into the message," Jordan explained, as shared by Kevin Patra of the NFL's website. "The message is clear: Let's have fun. Let's clean up all our missions. That's knowing your technique, knowing your abilities and knowing where you're going to be, knowing where your teammates are. I think the message has been loud and clear."
It now seems that Dennis Allen, New Orleans' previous full-time head coach, first lost members of the locker room all the way back in Week 18 of the 2023 season. He was then shown the door this past November when the 2024 Saints were 2-7.
While Moore is a rookie head coach, he's no stranger to NFL sidelines. He was a quarterback in the league, mostly as a backup, before he worked as offensive coordinator with the Dallas Cowboys from 2019 through the 2022 campaign. He then held that role with the Los Angeles Chargers for the following season, but he undeniably did his best work with Philadelphia.
Playing under Moore, Eagles running back Saquon Barkley earned NFL Offensive Player of the Year Award honors. Quarterback Jalen Hurts was later named the MVP of Super Bowl LIX after the Eagles crushed the Kansas City Chiefs to the tune of 40-22.
"He's become an offensive coordinator at multiple places," Jordan added about Moore. "He's worked his way through the ranks, and now he's a head coach. He's coming with a plan, a clear, direct plan. A directive, as well as a cabinet of coaches that I think have had a myriad versions of success. When you have a strong coaching staff, I think it puts you in a position to excel."
Moore will face a significant test early into his Saints tenure, as it appears starting quarterback Derek Carr could miss at least a portion of the upcoming season because of a shoulder injury. Louisville's Tyler Shough, the 40th overall pick of the 2025 NFL Draft, could enter training camp as the favorite to win a competition for the New Orleans starting job that would also involve 2024 fifth-round pick Spencer Rattler and 2023 fourth-round choice Jake Haener.
