The New Orleans Saints are off to a rough 2-5 start this season. Sure, it’s a slight step up from the 1-6 record they had at this point last year, but things still aren’t looking great under second-year head coach Kellen Moore and quarterback Tyler Shough. So, the team is trying to turn things around, which is why they shook things up with a major move before Week 9.
Watch What’s Trending Now!
NFL insider Ian Rapoport reported on X, “Coming off the bye, the #Saints made a significant change, moving on from run game coordinator T. J. Paganetti, sources say. Run-game issues have plagued the team this year.”
The Saints decided to part ways with Paganetti after their rushing attack kept on disappointing through the first seven games of the season. According to NBC Sports, this is the first coaching staff change since owner Gayle Benson showed dissatisfaction with the Saints’ performances.
Paganetti’s exit came after a difficult stretch for the Saints’ offense. New Orleans is averaging just 86 rushing yards per game, while ranking 28th in the league. The numbers started to bother more during their Week 7 matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Paris.
Alvin Kamara recorded just five yards on six carries, while Kendre Miller finished with just six yards on eight attempts. And quarterback Tyler Shough added only seven rushing yards. In total, they had 18 yards on 17 attempts, while the Steelers racked up 148 rushing yards on 30 attempts. So, New Orleans’ performance was obviously not enough to win against the Steelers. Pittsburgh won 16-10.
The highest rushing yards the Saints had were against the New York Giants in Week 6, where they recorded a season-high 175 yards and won 34-27 on the road. But except for two games of 148 yards or above, the Saints haven’t been able to touch the 100-yard mark in any other game, dropping to a meager 18 yards in Week 7. That led to Paganetti getting cut.
Paganetti joined the Saints’ coaching staff in 2025 after he spent several seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles. He had worked with Moore in Philadelphia and served in roles such as quality control coach, assistant running backs coach, run game specialist, and assistant offensive line coach.
His experience with the Eagles made him an important part of the Saints’ offensive setup, but the results have not been as consistent as expected.
“It’s self-scout week, so obviously we’re going to evaluate everything. We got to be more consistent in that process, and let’s go through that like every position … Daniel [Carlson]’s made a lot of kicks for us. Obviously, we’ve had a few missed. We get to evaluate that forward,” Moore said during the bye week, according to ESPN.
“We get a collaborative effort with the entire offensive staff, similar to the pass game. I’ve always been a big group meeting structure as far as having everyone in there and involved. It’s been that way since Dallas, L.A., and Philadelphia.”
That said, now, the Saints will host the Cleveland Browns in Week 9. As the Saints sit with a 2-5 record, there is little room for further disappointment. It will be an important game to show their coaching change and whether it can translate into better production on the field.