3 dream Dennis Allen replacements who can save the Saints in 2025

New Orleans Saints head coach Dennis Allen isn't just on the hot seat, his butt is on fire. The Saints have lost seven games in a row after falling to the lowly Carolina Panthers and making Bryce Young look like a competent NFL quarterback.

Allen took over for Sean Payton a few years ago, and it hasn't exactly worked out as planned. Very few successors can compete with the era of greatness Payton left behind. Fans in the Bayou were used to wearing bags over their heads. With Payton and Drew Brees, they won a Super Bowl and made regular postseason appearances. They really changed everything.

Yet, thanks to Allen and the decisions made by general manager Mickey Loomis, the Saints are right back where they started. The quickest path bath to relevance is, ironically, this coming Tuesday! Yes, we should all vote in the upcoming election, but Tuesday is also the NFL trade deadline. New Orleans has plenty of assets they can send to contending teams, especially considering they are not one of those teams. In return, the Saints can stash their draft pick cupboard and (perhaps) streamline that rebuild.

But who should lead that rebuild?

3. It can't hurt for the Saints to call Bill Belichick

Allen is likely going to be fired in the coming weeks or after the season, it depends how much Loomis and Saints ownership respects him as a person. That sounds mean, but New Orleans has shown little-to-no progress under Allen the last few years. Frankly, it was a miracle he survived last season. Just last week, Allen admitted his job status is fluid.

“We have conversations every day, you know what I mean? So I don’t feel any more sense of, having to have these conversations,” Allen said. “Look, I think we all understand that it’s a results-oriented business. And we need to play better football."

If New Orleans is going to fire Allen, they should aim high for a replacement. Considering the talent already on the roster, the likes of Bill Belichick should be available to them if they don't mind giving him full control. That's the thing with Bill – he's had so much success he'll accept nothing less, and isn't about to let someone else make his decisions.

Belichick was turned down by the Falcons last offseason. What better way to get revenge than to lead their rival?

2. Saints can add another offensive mastermind in Bobby Slowik

As entrenched as Derek Carr is in all of the Saints failures offensively, he can hardly be blamed for their current seven-game losing streak, as he was injured for the majority of it. If New Orleans opts to start over, which I'd certainly recommend they do, they'll need to find a young quarterback to mold into their new face of the franchise once Carr moves on. This is where Slowik comes in.

In Houston, Slowik succeeded right away with a rookie QB in CJ Stroud. This season, Stroud and Slowik have picked up right where they left off, featuring one of the top-ranked offenses in the NFL. Slowik was signed to an extension in the offseason, and works under a defensive head coach in DeMeco Ryans. This means he has full control over the offense.

Slowik interviewed with Atlanta, Carolina, Seattle, Tennessee, and Washington this past offseason, but was considered too raw. Another year of coaching under his belt – and another top-ranked offensive attack with a young QB – should be all the Saints need to make the move.

1. If Ben Johnson is willing, the Saints make a lot of sense

Ben Johnson was close to taking the Commanders head coaching job last offseason, a decision he might already be questioning given the early success of rookie QB Jayden Daniels. Johnson could be leading that offense. Instead, he's in Detroit, riding Dan Campbell's coattails. But don't get it twisted, Johnson is still likely to get head-coaching offers this offseason, and assuming he's done in Detroit this time around, he'll be able to choose his next destination.

Johnson is (much like Slowik) one of the best young offensive minds in the NFL. Campbell may be a former tight end, but make no mistake about it – the offense is Johnson's to do with as he pleases. Jared Goff has thrived in Johnson's system, and even earned himself a fresh new deal as one of the highest-paid quarterbacks in the NFL.

The reason why Johnson should be prioritized in New Orleans over, say, Slowik, is because he can thrive in spite of his quarterback. The Saints would be smart to move on from Carr, sure, but if they'd rather ride out his contract, perhaps a year under Johnson would do the 33-year-old some good. Heck, the same was said of Goff not that long ago.

Johnson is the top head coaching candidate on the market for a reason. The Saints will not be alone in their interest.