Mike McCarthy, the former Dallas Cowboys coach who was in the running for the New Orleans Saints job, is no longer planning to coach this year, and Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator Kellen Moore has emerged as a lead candidate for the job, sources told ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Tuesday night.
No final decision has been made by New Orleans, which has held second interviews with three candidates in total — Moore, Miami Dolphins defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver and New York Giants offensive coordinator Mike Kafka.
McCarthy had been scheduled to have his first interview with the Saints this week, but instead will focus on the 2026 hiring cycle, a source told ESPN, confirming an NFL Network report.
McCarthy had a 49-35 record in his five seasons as coach of Dallas. His contract expired after the season, and the sides mutually agreed to head in different directions.
He had interviewed for the Chicago Bears head-coaching job before they hired Ben Johnson last week.
The Saints are the last NFL team with a current head-coach opening. They fired Dennis Allen during the season, with special teams coach Darren Rizzi filling in on an interim basis (Rizzi also interviewed for the full-time job earlier this month).
Washington Commanders offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury opted not to pursue the Saints job, a team source confirmed to ESPN earlier Tuesday. And Bills offensive coordinator Joe Brady, opted to stay in Buffalo instead of pursuing a second interview with the team.
