Report sparks doubt about Kellen Moore's future with Saints

While writing about head coaches who may or may not be on the hot seat ahead of Christmas, NFL insiders such as Ralph Vacchiano of Fox Sports hadn't mentioned first-year New Orleans Saints head coach Kellen Moore.

However, that changed when Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated posted his latest mailbag on Wednesday. 

It sounds like Kellen Moore isn't completely safe

"I don’t know if Moore is completely out of the woods yet," Breer wrote. "One of the NFL’s most passionate fan bases appears to have settled into a state of apathy — which is way worse than anger — and owner Gayle Benson’s awareness about that seems to be high. So much so that she felt the need to address it, granting a rare one-on-one interview to my old buddy and Times-Picayune columnist Jeff Duncan." 

It was during that interview when Benson said she believed Moore "has the makeup to be a very special coach" and was "excited about having him." The Saints were 2-8 at the time but have since suffered back-to-back losses. 

Saints rookie quarterback Tyler Shough entered the season as a backup for Week 1 QB1 Spencer Rattler but became New Orleans' starter after Week 8. Shough went 1-3 in his first four regular-season starts. 

How Kellen Moore can ensure he stays with Saints through the offseason

In total, Shough has completed 107-of-164 pass attempts for 1,068 yards with five touchdowns and four interceptions. Per Pro Football Reference and ESPN, he would be ranked 30th in the NFL with a 36.5 adjusted QBR if he were among qualified players. 

"I think, for Moore to be safe, he’ll need to get good play from rookie quarterback Tyler Shough, demonstrating his ability to develop the position, and a string of competitive efforts. No one is expecting five consecutive wins, but they can’t get blown out every week," Breer added.

Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski, Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin and Mike McDaniel of the Miami Dolphins are three big-name candidates who could be available to coach-needy clubs come January. It's unknown if Benson and Co. would view one of those three as an upgrade over Moore. 

The Saints and 7-5 Tampa Bay Buccaneers will face off at Tampa Bay's Raymond James Stadium this Sunday for a rivalry showdown. As of Thursday morning, DraftKings Sportsbook had New Orleans as an 8.5-point road underdog for that game.