Kellen Moore has started making changes in New Orleans, and the first move comes on the offensive side of the ball.
The Saints fired run-game coordinator T.J. Paganetti coming out of the bye week, a source with knowledge of the situation confirmed. The move follows another rough outing on the ground, with New Orleans producing just 18 yards on 17 carries against the Pittsburgh Steelers in its last game.
Paganetti had been part of Moore’s first staff in 2025 after previously working with him in Philadelphia. In that stop, he served as the Eagles’ assistant offensive line coach under Jeff Stoutland.
The decision gives Moore his first major staff change since taking over. He kept his entire coaching group intact in the offseason, betting the Saints would benefit from continuity. New Orleans did lose former assistant offensive line coach Jahri Evans to the Pittsburgh Steelers, but that move was voluntary.
The problem, though, has been impossible to ignore. The Saints rank 28th in rushing yards per game this season, the same spot they occupied a year ago.
New Orleans knew the run game had to be fixed entering 2026, but instead of turning to a coaching overhaul, the team poured resources into personnel and scheme. The Saints signed former Jacksonville Jaguars running back Travis Etienne to a four-year, $48 million deal and former Buffalo Bills guard David Edwards to a four-year, $61 million contract in free agency. They also began leaning more heavily into outside zone blocking concepts, believing those looks fit the roster better.
It hasn’t worked.
Etienne has not played since Week 3, when a hamstring injury sent him to injured reserve. Behind him, the Saints still haven’t found much traction.
Alvin Kamara, who was retained in the offseason, has 125 yards on 41 carries, a 3-yard average. Kendre Miller has handled the most carries on the team, but his 2.8 yards per carry is the third-worst mark in the league among backs with at least 40 rushing attempts.
Paganetti was the coach responsible for shaping the Saints’ weekly rushing plan, and Moore had already signaled that changes were possible after the ugly Paris game, when New Orleans posted its fewest rushing yards in a game since 1999.
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