The Atlanta Falcons are busy figuring out what they’re going to do with Kirk Cousins this offseason. But while the future with Michael Penix Jr. is at the top of their minds, there’s always time to keep an eye out for what’s happening with the New Orleans Saints.
The Falcons’ biggest rival had an important day on Thursday, celebrating the arrival of new head coach Kellen Moore. While the 36-year-old’s resume could help the Saints get back into contention in the NFC South, the franchise hilariously got off on the wrong foot with their new coach leading to a clip that could be played for his entire stay in the Bayou.
Saints Owner & CEO Gayle Benson Calls Kellen Moore “Ellen” at Introductory Press Conference
Moore was introduced to reporters on Thursday morning and Saints owner and chief executive officer Gayle Benson led off the proceedings with an opening statement. While Benson expressed excitement over Moore’s arrival, she channeled Ron Burgundy by calling her new head coach the wrong name.
“We wanted a coach that was exceptionally bright, creative and most importantly, a tremendous leader,” Benson said. “I believe that is exactly what we have with Ellen Moore.”
Saints head coach Ellen Moore pic.twitter.com/mzhiMCWsdS
— The Coachspeak Index (@CoachspeakIndex) February 13, 2025
Whether someone had a typo in the script or not, it’s an embarrassing moment for the Saints. Moore just got done helping lead the Philadelphia Eagles to the Super Bowl and New Orleans began its coaching search when it fired Dennis Allen back in November. After becoming the last team to fill its head coaching vacancy, you would think the Saints brass got the names of their finalists memorized but instead, they created a meme on his first day on the job.
Things got more complicated throughout the press conference as Moore answered questions about how he was going to fix the Saints. New Orleans finished 5-12 last season and entered the offseason $54.1 million over the salary cap, creating a situation that many head coaching candidates didn’t even want to consider this winter.
The Falcons aren’t having a perfect offseason as they brace for the massive cap hit that comes with trading or releasing Cousins in the next few weeks. But they should be in a position to make moves to improve their team. With a salary cap nightmare and an owner that may not know his name, Moore will have his work cut out for him in New Orleans.