New Orleans Saints coach Dennis Allen wants players to put their heads down and work.
If it were only that easy.
The NFL is ripe with drama, and no matter how often coaches plead for players to tune out the noise, the message doesn’t stop the chatter from taking place. Jobs are stake, and in turn, millions of dollars. With training camp still weeks away, let’s look at which Saints players and coaches have the most at stake heading into 2024.
Dennis Allen
Let’s start with the obvious: This is a huge year for Allen. The Saints strongly believe they have the right man for the job — remember Mickey Loomis comparing him to Chuck Noll earlier this offseason? — but if New Orleans doesn’t make the playoffs next season, it would be hard to imagine Allen getting a fourth year at the helm without a prior postseason appearance.
There are only so many changes a franchise can make before deciding to move on from its coach. And Allen’s first two seasons have brought significant changes each offseason. After the Saints went 7-10 in Allen’s first season, they gave their coach a new quarterback (Derek Carr) and allowed him to make changes all along the defensive staff. Then, after a disappointing 9-8 last season, Allen again shook things up by getting rid of most of his offensive staff and bringing in offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak.
Simply put, the Saints have changed the quarterback, the defensive coordinator and the offensive coordinator under Allen. Normally, the coach becomes the next in line to lose his job if the results aren’t there.
There will be pressure on Allen next season to wade New Orleans through what appears to be a difficult schedule to begin the season. Imagine the scrutiny Allen could face if the Saints are 2-4 when former coach Sean Payton and the Denver Broncos come to town in Week 7. The Saints have historically operated as a patent franchise, but if Allen doesn’t get his team to perform, they may have no other choice but to part ways.
Allen needs to win.
Derek Carr
The coach’s fate is often tied to how his quarterback performs, so it should be no surprise to note that Carr is also facing a big year in 2024.
The Saints restructured Carr’s contract this offseason, which could make it more financially challenging to part ways with him next spring. But getting out from Carr’s deal is far from impossible, and the Saints have a history of making things work under the salary cap, if need be.
Despite having two young quarterbacks on the roster, Carr isn’t necessarily on the hot seat because of what’s behind him. Rather, if Carr underperforms again, and he’s not the difference-maker the team’s brass imagined when they signed him to a four-year, $150 million contract, the Saints could be forced to evaluate whether it’s worth changing direction.
The Saints are at a crossroads, and they’re depending on Allen and Carr to lead them.
The 2017 draft class
Our Jeff Duncan has already written about this extensively, but this season could be setting up for a final hurrah for the remaining members of the Saints’ illustrious 2017 draft class.
Alvin Kamara has no remaining guaranteed money left on his deal, and that’s led to a contract dispute between the two sides. Marshon Lattimore appears to be on the board following an offseason of near-constant trade rumors, but the Saints could very well explore moving the cornerback next offseason if need be. And tackle Ryan Ramczyk has been away from the team because of a chronic knee injury, which may prevent him from playing football ever again.
When previously asked about trading Lattimore, Loomis said he isn’t in the business of shipping away players who can still contribute. The 2024 season will be a chance for the 2017 draftees to show what they have left in the tank.
Pete Werner
All right, so Werner’s seat may not be as warm as the rest of the people on this list, but next season still matters plenty for the Saints’ starting linebacker.
For one, can he retain his starting spot? The Saints brought in free agents Willie Gay and Khaleke Hudson to push Werner, whom coaches have said has responded to the challenge. But Werner will need to play better than he did last season, when his production slipped despite playing a career-high 16 games.
Werner, too, is in a contract year. Beyond having to fend off Gay and Hudson for his job, he’ll also have to perform well to secure his next deal. The going rate for off-ball linebackers can vary dramatically, but he could have a chance to cash in with a big year.
Mickey Loomis?
Let’s just address this one real quick. If the Saints were to bottom out next season, as in worst-in-the-league bottom out, rumors will probably start to swirl whether Loomis could look to retire. Heck, they did last year when New Orleans missed the playoffs again. But the Saints longtime general manager, gum chewing and all, was adamant he wasn’t ready to step down any time soon. That would leave owner Gayle Benson in a position in which she might have to make the final call, and would she really make it? Probably not.
Loomis is so engrained in the Saints' hierarchy that he was named as a co-executor of the Benson family trust if team president Dennis Lauscha was unable to perform his duties. The Bensons, Gayle and the late Tom, have shown great faith in Loomis, and he's likely to stick around as long as she owns the team. Even if Loomis retired from football operations, it seems entirely possible he'd be moved to a different role in the organization — similar to what the Atlanta Falcons did with Rich McKay, who is now CEO after serving as the team's longtime president.