Saints expect changes, but Rizzi would like to stay and has some key players' support

Updated Jan. 6, 2025 8:38 p.m. ET

Associated Press

METAIRIE, La. (AP) — New Orleans Saints interim coach Darren Rizzi agrees that major changes should be in store this offseason.

After a loss at Tamp Bay in Sunday's season finale, the Saints (5-12) are coming off their worst regular season in nearly two decades.

But Rizzi also has a case to make for why any changes regarding his role with the team should involve nothing more than dropping the “interim” tag from his title.

“I can sit here very confidently and say that it’s pretty clear that I’m a good leader,” said Rizzi, who took over following the firing of third-year coach Dennis Allen and guided New Orleans to a 3-5 record during their final eight games.

“One of the things I think I’m very, very strong in is leadership and communication and relationships," Rizzi continued. "There’s no more important trio than those three when you coach.”

Rizzi said the Saints must follow NFL rules in selecting their next coach, which require, among other things, for clubs to interview minority candidates.

Rizzi said he expects to be interviewed as a candidate for the permanent job next week. Until then, he'll remain on staff, helping the club complete end-of-season evaluations of its current roster and staff.

Rizzi inherited a club at midseason that was significantly injury depleted and in the midst of a seven-game skid.

“Let’s be honest, it wasn’t a blank canvas when I took over,” Rizzi said. “I did what I thought was best at the time for the circumstances that we had.

“There’s only so many things you can do,” Rizzi continued. “Once you get in the middle of a journey and you’re halfway through, it’s a little bit hard to change. Now, when you start over and you kind of press the reset button, I think there’s a lot of things you can do."

Several prominent Saints players, including running back Alvin Kamara, defensive captain Cameron Jordan and quarterback Derek Carr, said that while they would defer to management on the hiring of the next coach, they viewed Rizzi as a strong candidate.

“Rizzi is more than capable,” Kamara said. “He’s not scared to make change. He’s not scared to hold people accountable. He holds himself accountable. He’s just a genuine dude. ... If I had to throw a vote in the hat, I’m with Rizzi.”

The Saints might be able to interview some candidates in the coming days, but they could have to wait weeks for some top assistants on playoff teams to become available.

Veteran decisions

There are several high-profile veterans — most notably Carr and Jordan — whose future with the club appears to be uncertain.

The 35-year-old Jordan, who just completed his 14th NFL season, has one year left under contract with a base salary of $12.5 million. Carr, 33, is due $30 million in base salary next season after going 5-5 in 10 games this season as a starter and missing seven games with injuries.

Jordan, started the season as a rotational player and often on the interior of the line on third downs, came on strong after Rizzi took over and returned him to more of his traditional edge rushing role. He had four sacks and seven tackles for loss in the final eight games.

Jordan said his late-season productivity “let me know that I was nowhere close to being toward the finish line."

He fully intends to play next season and hopes it's in New Orleans.

“If you look at Jordan’s second half of the year, you would want him back," Rizzi said. "Strictly grading on production, he deserves to be back.”

Carr, meanwhile, said he also hopes to return, and said his conversations with general manager Mickey Loomis and owner Gayle Benson have been “super positive.”

Carr said the way the Saints offense played during the first two games was indicative of how good they could have been had injuries not piled up. They scored 91 points combined in a pair of victories, but against Carolina and Dallas teams that wound up struggling much of this season.

By the time the season finished, the Saints were without Carr, Kamara, receivers Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed, Taysom Hill and center Erik McCoy, their most accomplished offensive lineman, among others.

“When we were all out there it looked pretty darn good,” Carr said. "Hopefully we’ll get a chance to do that again someday.”

Kamara's commitment

With 950 yards rushing, the versatile Kamara, who has surpassed 1,000 scrimmage yards during all eight of his NFL seasons, was closing in on his first 1,000-yard rushing season when he went out with a groin injury with three games left in the season.

“I wanted it, but I’ve never chased records in this league," Kamara said. “Because of that, I think I’ve been able to keep the game pure, in a sense. Like, sometimes you squeeze something too hard and it falls out of your hands.”

Having signed a two-year, $24.5 million extension in October, Kamara said he remains committed to New Orleans and wants to be part of the effort to end what is now a four-year playoff drought.

“I could have forced my way out,” Kamar said. "I’ve been here and I’ve experienced the highs and just because it gets low, that don’t mean, ‘Oh, it’s over with, let me pack up.’ ... I’m here when it’s bad. I’ve got my hand in it. The thing that makes sense to me the most is to get it back to when it was good.”

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