There's a good argument for Kellen Moore to pull a Ben Johnson on the Saints

Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator Kellen Moore appears set on attaching himself to the New Orleans Saints by becoming their next head coach. Despite being in a fantastic situation that projects to carry over into the 2025 NFL campaign, he's ostensibly making a beeline for the Big Easy.

Signs continue pointing toward the 2025 hiring cycle's last vacancy in New Orleans belonging to Moore if he wants it. Even at Super Bowl LIX Opening Night, his interactions with the media suggest a looming partnership with the Saints. Why, you may ask? We're not entirely sure. But the rising Eagles assistant might be wise to reconsider and take a page out of another prominent play-caller-turned-head-coach book: Ben Johnson.

Johnson was arguably the top candidate in the 2023 and 2024 coaching markets before joining the Chicago Bears this offseason. He exercised patience, knowing his circumstances as the Detroit Lions OC allowed him to wait for the right opportunity, not merely the next one. Moore's in a near-identical position now and may benefit from doing the same.

There's a good argument for Kellen Moore to pull a Ben Johnson on the Saints

Meanwhile, Johnson remained revered for his efforts in Detroit on a perennial title-contending squad. Many touted him as one of football's brightest minds, which only helped him at the negotiation table in the long run. This season marks Moore's first in Philadelphia, so he has time to milk this out until a better job arises.

You can argue that Johnson's hardball tactics made him a more desirable commodity. Even after spurning second interviews with the Washington Commanders and Seattle Seahawks this time last year, the Bears (among other suitors) were courting him. That decision could eventually prove costly, but it speaks to the fact that he had no shortage of options, which presumably applies to Moore too.

The shelf life of head coaches is dwindling. Leashes are only getting shorter, meaning it's a matter of when before a prime landing spot arises, not if. Doesn't Moore want to see what's behind door No. 2? After all, he's a top lieutenant, pushing the buttons for a dominant Eagles scoring unit that figures to continue operating at a high level.