NFL rumors: Long-awaited Saints firing could, at last, be imminent

New Orleans Saints fans hope that the question regarding offseason coaching changes is not if someone gets fired or not, but instead whether the changes need to be wholesale or piecemeal. Returning this coaching staff as-is would be viewed by most of the fanbase as a massive problem heading into year two of the Derek Carr experiment.

We may be closer to finding out what the future looks like for the staff.

Saints return to facility this week, which likely means any firings are coming soon

The Saints coaching staff was given last week off according to beat reporters around the team and returns to the front office this week. It's unclear if they head in for the first day Monday, or if they'll be in on Tuesday or later due to Martin Luther King Jr. Day on the 15th.

Needless to say, they're getting back into work at some point in the coming days, possibly as soon as today.

The last week hasn't produced any news or insight on what the fate of the coaching staff is because everyone is away. Now that they get back, news should start rolling.

Offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael is the obvious man under the microscope. While some fans would love to hear that Dennis Allen's job is on the line as well, a late-season push likely keeps the head coach's job out of doubt.

As for Carmichael, there's a chance it could do the same, but it's hard to look past some of the fatal offensive flaws the team faced this season. Until the final few games, the red zone offense was limp. The run game didn't get going the entire season. Derek Carr struggled tremendously.

Yes, many of these issues were resolved over the final games, but the competition wasn't exactly stiff. Some analysts -- like Mike Triplett of NewOrleans.football -- have pointed to the fact that Carr typically struggles his first year in a new system or under a new coordinator as a reason the Saints might want to retain Carmichael.

I say, despite seeing the logic of the argument, that sounds like a miserable reason to keep an underperforming employee around.

Within days, we should find out which argument the Saints are getting behind. Unfortunately, it seems as though they may be leaning toward retaining coaches and not players.