NFL Rumors: Brandon Staley A 'Serious Candidate' to Be Saints DC Under Kellen Moore

Former Los Angeles Chargers head coach Brandon Staley is a "serious candidate" to become the New Orleans Saints' next defensive coordinator, according to Fox Sports' Jordan Schultz.

The Saints have already landed on former Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator Kellen Moore as their next head coach, Schultz reported earlier Tuesday.

NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported Tuesday that Staley "is a really strong, kind of a hot-shot defensive coordinator candidate" who will get a "long look" in New Orleans.

Moore previously worked with Staley when he served as the Chargers' offensive coordinator during the 2023 season.

The Chargers' offense ranked 18th in the NFL in yards and 21st in points that campaign, during which the team stumbled to a five-win finish that led to Staley's midseason dismissal.

The Saints could be hoping for better results if they pair Moore and Staley again, this time with Moore coming out of a Super Bowl-winning Eagles offense.

Staley has previous experience as an NFL defensive coordinator with the Los Angeles Rams in 2020, during which the team's defense ranked first in the NFL in both yards and points allowed.

He moved on after that to become the Chargers head coach, a job he left with a 24-24 record and no playoff wins.

The 2024 season saw Staley serving as assistant coach for the San Francisco 49ers, who went 6-11 and fell well short of repeating last winter's trip to the Super Bowl.

Staley reportedly isn't the only candidate for the Saints DC spot. ESPN's Jeremy Fowler previously reported that Buccaneers outside linebackers coach George Edwards, who worked with Moore during his tenure with the Dallas Cowboys, is another candidate for the position.

Fowler added that Matt Eberflus had been a potential target for Moore prior to his hiring as the Cowboys' defensive coordinator.

The Saints are looking to replace Joe Woods, who spent two seasons as the team's defensive coordinator before joining Pete Carroll's staff with the Las Vegas Raiders this offseason.

Whoever takes the job in New Orleans will be tasked with overhauling one of the least effective defensive units in the NFL last season. The team's next DC can hope the Saints will use one of their eight draft picks to target defensive talent this April.