Jason Kelce's comments raise concern over Saints' direction

T.J. Paganetti. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Jason Kelce's comments raise concern over Saints' direction after coach firing

By Eric Smithling | Last updated Nov 3, 2026 7:59 AM ET

The New Orleans Saints may have let the wrong coach go.

Following a Week 8 bye, the Saints shook up their coaching staff by firing run game coordinator T.J. Paganetti on Monday. But based on comments from former Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce, the Saints made a big mistake.

"T.J. is an outstanding coach," Kelce wrote on social media, initially writing in his post that he doesn't "comment on things like this often."

The Super Bowl LII winner continued by praising Paganetti for providing "a ton of value for us in Philadelphia... One of my favorite coaches from my time with the Eagles."

"He's extremely knowledgeable, driven, and always worked his a-- off to put the players in positions to succeed. I respect him greatly," Kelce added.

The ESPN analyst ended by writing, "A lot of teams are in need of good coaches; the team that hires him is getting a great one."

Strong Jason Kelce endorsement raises questions about Saints' coaching decision

I don’t comment on things like this often, but T.J. Is an outstanding coach. He brought a ton of value for us in Philadelphia, and was a big part of our success up front. One of my favorite coaches from my time with the Eagles. He’s extremely knowledgeable, driven, and always… https://t.co/7PGX8OpGVn
— Jason Kelce (@JasonKelce) November 3, 2026

After an embarrassing performance from the Saints in a loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, when quarterback Tyler Shough led the team with seven rushing yards and it finished with 18 yards on 17 total carries, change was needed.

But it's fair to question whether coach Kellen Moore made the right move or made a bad situation worse by dismissing Paganetti.

Earlier in the day, NewOrleans.Football's Nick Underwood reported that offensive line coach Brendan Nugent will take over the role, putting more on his plate in addition to fixing his struggling position group. As Underhill noted, he also had a previous part in the run-game install, "So he'll keep doing that ... and do even more to lead that process."

Brendan Nugent will now lead the run game. He's been giving the presentations to the players all season. So he'll keep doing that install and do even more to lead that process.
— Nick Underhill (@nick_underhill) November 2, 2026

After taking the Detroit Lions (5-2) to overtime in Week 1 and pulling off a comeback win at the Baltimore Ravens (4-4) in Week 2, the Saints have cratered, dropping four of their last five. The lack of a run game hasn't helped, putting the entire weight of the offense on second-year quarterback Tyler Shough, yet moving on from the Paganetti might not be the elixir New Orleans needs. Firing talented coaches rarely is.

As much as the rushing attack has struggled, based on Kelce's comments, Paganetti wasn't the problem. Instead, he was made the scapegoat.

Eric Smithling

Eric Smithling is a writer based in New Orleans, LA, whose byline also appears on Athlon Sports. He has been with Yardbarker since September 2022, primarily covering the NFL and college football, but also the NBA, WNBA, men’s and women’s college basketball, NHL, tennis and golf. He holds a film studies degree from the University of New Orleans

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