Saints lose out on top HC candidate, despite having only opening left in NFL

After the Dallas Cowboys officially promoted offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer to head coach, that meant there was only one opening left in the NFL — the New Orleans Saints. The Saints are coming off of a disappointing 5-12 season, where they fired Dennis Allen after a 2-7 start. From there, fans anticipated who the team would hire.

One of the top candidates linked to the Saints was Aaron Glenn, given how he used to be an assistant coach under Sean Payton, but he chose to become the new New York Jets head coach. Even after losing out on Glenn, there were still some solid options available to them.

One name has now taken himself out of consideration.

According to NFL Network national insider Ian Rapoport, Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator Joe Brady took his name out of consideration for the Saints' head coaching job. Instead, he will return to Buffalo for another season.

Joe Brady takes name out of consideration for Saints head coaching job

Bills quarterback Josh Allen got his wish, as his offensive coordinator will remain in Buffalo for another season.

This is a huge loss for the Saints, as Brady was considered to be one of the top up-and-coming head coaching prospects in the NFL. His work with the Bills, especially this season, stands out, as Allen is playing at an NFL MVP level. But perhaps most importantly, Brady is familiar with the Saints organization, something that general manager Mickey Loomis is prioritizing in his search.

This season, the Bills offense averaged 359.1 yards (10th in NFL) and 30.9 points (second in NFL) per game. Those numbers are great, considering they moved on from Stefon Diggs last offseason. Plus, Allen has accounted for 3,731 passing yards, 28 passing touchdowns, 531 rushing yards, and 12 rushing touchdowns.

With Brady out of the picture, the Saints will now have to pivot. Perhaps the biggest name is Mike McCarthy, who walked away from the Dallas Cowboys after his contract expired. McCarthy used to work with the Saints as an offensive coordinator from 2000 until 2004. McCarthy has yet to interview for the opening due to a winter storm hitting New Orleans.

Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator Kellen Moore is set to have a second interview with the team, while New York Giants offensive coordinator Mike Kafka just completed his second interview on Saturday.

Even though the Saints have the only head coaching opening, Brady decided he'd be better off staying in Buffalo. Expect Brady to be a top candidate in the 2026 coaching cycle.