It's an overreaction to say that Darren Rizzi should remain head coach of the New Orleans Saints after this season just because he beat the Atlanta Falcons. But continued success should mean he gets a real gig, and the Saints need to hire someone for the job. It wouldn't be the worst thing if Rizzi made up for a lost season and actually earned that chance.
For one thing, he's already a popular presence in the locker room. Special teams coaches like Rizzi are the few coaches who interact with players in every phase of the game. Whether he was teaching quarterbacks how to hold a snap, telling linemen how deep to prepare for a field goal, or instructing gunners on safeties when dropping blocks, he has worked with and enjoyed it all building and great respect in the league. He also applied for the position the last time it became available.
On the other hand, the Saints are not ready to rebuild spontaneously. Annual contract restructuring has made it difficult to trade a number of experienced players and sign replacements in free agency. They're not resting on a stockpile of draft picks, either. That could make it difficult to lure an in-demand prospect like Ben Johnson to town, and veteran coaches who have seen a thing or two like Mike Vrabel might want more resources to work with.
If the Saints have to operate under strict salary cap constraints in 2025 anyway, sticking with Rizzi might be the best approach. See if he can weather this storm and field a competitive team with the pieces already in the building. If he can, that's great – he'll have a clean slate to work with in 2026 after hurdles like the dead money left over from Marshon Lattimore's trade and Derek Carr's contract guarantees are paid off in 2025. What if he fails?
No harm, no foul. More older players will be gone, salary cap accounting will be in order, and the next coaching cycle will provide more options. Perhaps someone already linked to the Saints' coaching search, like Aaron Glenn or Joe Brady, is ready to take over with more experience, fresh eyes and plenty of tools, depth and draft picks to build his own team .
But we're really putting the cart before the horse here. Rizzi passed his first test by defeating the dirty birds. Now he has to win two games in a row and eliminate the Cleveland Browns next Sunday. That would go a long way toward keeping the season alive in a still weak NFC South. At this stage, all we can do (and all Rizzi and the Saints can do) is take it one day and one week at a time.
