Sean Payton: Darren Rizzi was 'very serious candidate' for Saints coach job

The New Orleans Saints had a tough decision to make in the 2025 offseason before free agency even began, in hiring their new head coach. They ultimately came down to the selection of Kellen Moore, foregoing interim head coach Darren Rizzi as well as other candidates Anthony Weaver and Mike Kafka.

However, the viability of Rizzi was high for the opening, and former Saints head coach Sean Payton believes Rizzi was an extremely strong contender for the job. As shared by NOLA.com's Luke Johnson, Payton expressed confidence in Rizzi's viability as a candidate for the Saints' head coach opening.

"With respect to the process, he was a very serious candidate (in New Orleans) and I think will be a head coach in our league as well,” Payton added, speaking with the media at the NFL Scouting Combine this week.

This makes sense given the two worked together for many seasons and are once again on the same staff for the 2025 season, but it also provides some intriguing clarity into the Saints' selection of Moore over the others. With Alvin Kamara having previously voiced his support of Rizzi for the head coaching spot, it makes sense that maybe some players believed he was a strong option.

Ultimately, New Orleans chose otherwise, going with a non-Sean Payton route and allowing Moore to fully set up his new coaching staff. It will be very interesting to see if Rizzi gets another shot elsewhere during the 2026 offseason or beyond.