NFC South

The New Orleans Saints will need to make a decision with quarterback Derek Carr this offseason, but the veteran reportedly doesn't have to worry about finding a new landing spot if they do move on from him.

"If he's gone, I would expect interest from multiple teams out there," NFL Network's Mike Garafolo reported Sunday (2:15 mark). "There's not a lot of great options both in free agency and the draft."

ESPN's Katherine Terrell explained New Orleans is "expected to be significantly over the salary cap this offseason and will have to release or restructure multiple contracts to become cap compliant."

That could mean changing Carr's contract or simply moving on, as he has two seasons remaining on his deal that pays him an average of $37.5 million. He is also due $40 million next year and will count $51.45 million against the salary cap without some type of restructuring.

He also isn't looking to take a pay cut.

"I wouldn't take a pay cut," he told Terrell. "Yeah, I wouldn't do that. Especially with what I put on tape. Would I restructure? Absolutely. I'll always help the team that way. But there's some things that you put out there that you earned. Even in some cases it could be even worse, but I felt confident when I signed it that this would give the team the best flexibility at the time.

"... But there's always a kind of respect as a quarterback you're like, well still we're in that respectful lane. 'We're good. Build the team.' But yeah, I wouldn't take anything less to do this. It's hard enough putting our bodies through it. And you're trying to get everything you can for your family for it."

This will be one of the biggest decisions for the Saints as they begin a new era.

NFL insider Jordan Schultz reported Saturday the expectation is Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator Kellen Moore is expected to become New Orleans' next head coach following the Super Bowl.

Moore has an offensive background and could get the best out of Carr or whoever is under center for the Saints.

Carr is a four-time Pro Bowler with four seasons of more than 4,000 passing yards on his resume, although he was limited to just 10 games in 2024 and went 5-5 as a starter. The Saints were 0-7 when he didn't start this season, and other teams that could be interested in the veteran surely took note of the difference when he was on the field.

Given what could be a weak draft class at the position, he could be a bridge quarterback for a team looking to move in a different direction.

Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator Kellen Moore reportedly already has his next job lined up ahead of Super Bowl LIX.

"The expectation remains" that Moore will take over as head coach of the New Orleans Saints following Sunday's game against the Kansas City Chiefs, according to Fox Sports' Jordan Schultz.

Moore "had already started making calls on a potential staff" prior to Super Bowl week, according to Schultz.

The Saints are the lone remaining NFL team without a head coach. ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported last week the Eagles are "bracing" to lose Moore to the Saints after this season.

This article will be updated soon to provide more information and analysis.

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It appears very likely that the Kirk Cousins' era with the Atlanta Falcons will be a one-and-done affair after he was benched in favor of rookie Michael Penix Jr. late in the 2024 season.

"This is a situation that looks an awful lot like what Denver and Russell Wilson went through last offseason before Denver decided ultimately to move on from him, when it said it wouldn't necessarily do that," ESPN's Adam Schefter said during Wednesday's NFL Live (0:58 mark). "They released him, he wound up signing a one-year deal with a low salary in Pittsburgh, and that's how I think people across the league believe this situation will unfold with the Falcons releasing Cousins right around the start of the new league year."

Schefter did note that the Falcons have been "adamant that they're open to keeping him as the backup quarterback," though that feels unlikely given that teams don't pay backup quarterbacks over $40 million per year. A trade is also possible, though it would require Cousins' signing off on any deal since he has a no-trade clause, which is why Schefter believes a release is still the most likely outcome.

The Falcons went all-in on the quarterback position last offseason, signing Cousins to a four-year, $180 million contract before surprisingly drafting Penix with the No. 8 overall pick.

It always seemed like a lot of resources to use on the position, and the decision to sign Cousins to such a massive deal looked like a major blunder after he threw nine interceptions and just one touchdown between a five-game stretch in November and December. The team went 1-4 in those contests and handed the reins over to Penix.

The rookie was solid in his three starts down the stretch, throwing for 737 passing yards, three touchdowns, three interceptions and one rushing score. The Falcons went 1-2 in those games and missed the playoffs, though one of the defeats was an overtime loss against the Washington Commanders.

Moving forward with Penix as the starter makes the most sense for the Falcons, leaving Cousins in something of a holding pattern. But much like the Broncos ate $85 million in dead cap by releasing Wilson last offseason, the Falcons likely will have to eat $65 million in dead cap to cut Cousins.

The Falcons are hardly the only team this offseason with difficult decisions to make regarding an aging and declining quarterback. The New York Jets and Aaron Rodgers find themselves at a similar crossroads. But while New York would be starting over at the position if they cut Rodgers, the Falcons have Penix ready to go.

That makes a divorce between Cousins and the Falcons feel inevitable.

Kirk Cousins had a rough debut season for the Atlanta Falcons and was eventually benched in favor of rookie Michael Penix Jr. for the final three games of the 2024 campaign.

But on Tuesday, Cousins revealed he was dealing with shoulder and elbow injuries he suffered in Week 10 against the New Orleans Saints.

"I, against the Saints, got hit pretty good in my right shoulder and elbow and from there kind of dealing with that was something I was working through and just never really could get it to where I wanted it," he said during an appearance on NFL Network's Good Morning Football (h/t Marc Raimondi of ESPN).

Cousins also said that while his Achilles was in a good spot after a torn right Achilles ended his 2023 season halfway through, he also dealt with some ankle issues throughout the 2024 campaign.

"Even if the right ankle wasn't perfect, nobody's perfect in this league," he said. "We're never feeling a 100 percent. So, it didn't really affect me too much."

Cousins' comments about his injuries are interesting on two fronts.

The first is that, during the season, both the Falcons and Cousins said that he was healthy. Tuesday's comments clearly contradict those prior remarks.

Second, it appeared that the 36-year-old Cousins was simply washed by the second half of last season. Between the Saints' matchup and a mid-December win over the Las Vegas Raiders, he threw nine interceptions to just one touchdown, and the Falcons went 1-4 in those contests.

That made the decision to switch to Penix fairly easy, and seemingly set the stage for Penix to be the starter going forward, especially after he was solid in his three starts (737 passing yards, three touchdowns, three interceptions, one rushing score, 1-2 record with an overtime loss against the Washington Commanders).

But if Cousins was dealing with injuries rather than simply regressing, the Falcons may have an interesting quarterback situation on their hands heading into 2025.

That doesn't come down to just performance. Atlanta would incur a massive $65 million dead cap charge if they released Cousins, making it an incredibly prohibitive option.

A better alternative would be trading him, leaving them on the hook for just $37.5 million in remaining proration, though Cousins has a no-trade clause and would have final say on any deal. That limit's Atlanta's leverage in trade negotiations and could mean eating some of his $27.5 million base salary in 2025 to facilitate a deal.

Either way, the decision to both sign Cousins to a four-year, $180 million contract last offseason and also use a first-round pick to select Penix remains a head-scratcher. At this point, the Falcons probably need to just move forward with Penix, leaving Cousins as either a trade candidate or a very expensive backup.

Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator Kellen Moore is considered to be the favorite for the New Orleans Saints head coaching position, but he's not letting that distract him from the task at hand.

While speaking to reporters during Super Bowl Opening Night on Monday, Moore said his "pure focus" was on Sunday's showdown against the back-to-back defending champion Kansas City Chiefs. He added that he doesn't "have to worry about a single thing except this opportunity" to coach in Super Bowl LIX.

Coincidentally, the Super Bowl is being held in New Orleans, so it wasn't lost on Moore that he was fielding questions in his potential future home of the Superdome. He also had nice things to say about Saints veteran quarterback Derek Carr.

"Tons of respect for him as a quarterback in this league," Moore said of Carr. "He's had a tremendous career and done a lot of really good things."

The Saints are the only team to still have an opening at head coach. Moore said he appreciates the organization's patience to allow him to focus on Sunday's Super Bowl matchup.

"It's obviously been a good process," he said of his preliminary meetings with Saints general manager Mickey Loomis and other team officials last week. "Having an opportunity to meet with Mickey and their leadership group has been great, and it's set up in a way that allows us to focus on this game and we'll see what happens after that."

The end of Mike Evans' NFL career could come in the next few years, but his playing days may not be over.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers star said he'd "most likely" be retired by 2028, and if he is, he'll suit up for the United States Olympic flag football team.

"This is good practice for me," Evans told reporters Saturday regarding the flag football at the Pro Bowl Games, via Tampa Free Press' Rock Riley (h/t NFL.com's Bobby Kownack). "The Olympics, most likely I'll be retired by 2028, how many years is that? Three years, I don't know. But if I am retired, I would definitely like to play in the Olympics."

After the Paris Olympics came to a close in August, the focus quickly shifted to Los Angeles 2028, which will feature flag football for the first time in Olympic history. Naturally, the addition of flag football had fans urging NFL players to get involved.

Evans isn't the only player to express interest in flag football at the Olympics, as Miami Dolphins star receiver Tyreek Hill called for NFL players to team up to "bring one home" in 2028.

Having a speedy receiver like Hill alongside a massive target such as Evans would be quite the spectacle, but only time will tell if they decide to pursue gold in a few years.

It's also unclear whether Evans will be retired or still playing by 2028. The veteran will be nearly 35 by the time the Olympics roll around, but he's still going strong right now. He's coming off his 11th straight season with at least 1,000 receiving yards, tying legendary receiver Jerry Rice's record. He barely reached the mark this year, recording 1,004 yards and 11 touchdowns, but he also missed a handful of games.

Before Evans thinks about winning gold, he'll continue chasing his second Super Bowl victory. The Bucs are coming off a fifth straight postseason appearance but couldn't get past the divisional round while dealing with a handful of injuries. Tampa Bay will look to return a healthy roster next season and get closer to its championship goal

Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield quipped he "left him on read" when asked about his final conversation with Liam Coen when Coen took the Jacksonville Jaguars coaching job.

At the Pro Bowl Games in Orlando, Florida, Mayfield told reporters he "can't be mad" at Coen deciding to leave the Bucs for a bigger job:

Mayfield may not begrudge Coen for his decision, but he's probably not thrilled about the idea he has his third different offensive coordinator in as many seasons with Tampa.

Coen replaced Dave Canales, who left to become the Carolina Panthers head coach last offseason. The Bucs tried to preserve some continuity by promoting Josh Grizzard to replace Coen rather than going with another outside hire.

Mayfield spoke positively about Grizzard, calling him "a great guy" and "unbelievably smart."

Coen's hiring by Jacksonville was a testament to his success during a brief run in Tampa.

The Buccaneers averaged the third-most yards (399.5) and fourth-most points (29.5) per game. Mayfield tied for the league lead in interceptions with 16 but blew past his previous career bests in passing yards (4,500) and touchdowns (41). Wide receiver Mike Evans extended his streak of 1,000-yard seasons to 11.

Grizzard will have big shoes to fill. Should Tampa Bay's offense take a big step backward in 2025, Mayfield might be leaving him on read for a much different reason.

Darren Rizzi could be set to reunite with Sean Payton after finishing out the 2024 season as the New Orleans Saints' interim head coach.

Rizzi is "likely" to be hired as the Broncos' new special teams coordinator under Payton, NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported Friday.

Rizzi previously spent three seasons working with Payton as the Saints' special teams coordinator between 2019 and 2021.

The news of Rizzi's potential departure follows an earlier report by NFL Network's Tom Pelissero that the Saints are targeting Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator Kellen Moore as their next head coach.

The Saints would need to wait until after the Eagles play in the Super Bowl on Feb. 9 to officially speak with Moore again, Pelissero noted.

But all indications are pointing toward Moore being next in line for the job, given that Pelissero wrote that Saints general manager Mickey Loomis informed other candidates Friday morning about the plan to speak with Moore, and that Moore is already "working on staff."

Rizzi's tenure as the Saints' head coach could now end after eight games.

Tasked with taking over following the mid-season firing of Dennis Allen, Rizzi led the Saints to a 3-5 record, an improvement over the team's 2-7 start to the campaign.

Rizzi was also involved in designing the NFL's new dynamic kickoff rule, which the league has reported led to fewer concussions and more returns, ahead of the 2024 season, per ESPN's Adam Schefter.

Rizzi reportedly received some buzz regarding a permanent head coaching job after the season, when he interviewed with the New York Jets, who ultimately turned to former Detroit Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn, as well as with Saints.

The Broncos fired special teams coordinator Ben Kotwica after the 2024 season, per ESPN's Jeff Legwold.

Legwold noted that a pair of "high-profile special teams miscues," including a blocked field goal in Week 10 against the Kansas City Chiefs Chiefs and a costly fair-catch interference call in Week 16 against the Los Angeles Chargers, led to the team parting ways with Kotwica.

Following Mike Westhoff's midseason retirement due to health issues, the Broncos need to overhaul their special teams leadership over the offseason.

If the Saints bring in Moore, Rizzi could be available to take the job. Both teams may need to wait until the Eagles play the Kansas City Chiefs in New Orleans for the pieces to fall into place.

As the New Orleans Saints continue to search for a new head coach, the team is reportedly enamored with quarterback Spencer Rattler.

According to ESPN's Matt Miller, New Orleans' front office "loves" Rattler.

The Saints selected the 24-year-old with a fifth-round pick in the 2024 NFL draft, suiting up in seven contests and making six starts during his rookie year.

NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported Wednesday that Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator Kellen Moore is the "favorite" to become New Orleans' next head coach.

With the Eagles currently preparing to face the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX, the Saints plan to meet with Moore after the game (via NFL Network's Tom Pelissero).

New Orleans previously conducted a virtual interview with him on Jan. 18.

Moore has served as an offensive coordinator at the NFL level in each of the five years prior to joining the Eagles. He operated in the role for the Dallas Cowboys from 2019-22 before he became part of the Los Angeles Chargers' coaching staff in 2023.

If Moore becomes the Saints' next head coach, he'll likely have a specific type of quarterback that he wants to build the team's offense around. While it may not be Rattler, it's clear that New Orleans still believes in the signal-caller.

With veteran quarterback Derek Carr appearing in just 10 games in 2024 due to separate oblique and hand injuries, the Saints got an extended look at Rattler.

The 24-year-old showed promise at times but also struggled with inconsistency, completing 57 percent of his throws for 1,317 yards and four touchdowns compared to five interceptions. He also picked up 146 yards on the ground.

Regardless of whether the Saints can bring in Moore, Rattler still seems to be a part of their long-term plans under center.