Saints reportedly fire offensive staff, including longtime OC Pete Carmichael
The New Orleans Saints are parting ways with longtime offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael and some members of his staff, according to multiple reports Tuesday.
Senior offensive assistant Bob Bicknell and wide receivers coach Kodi Burns were among the cuts, per ESPN's Adam Schefter.
Now, the team is tasked with mounting a major offensive change for the first time since 2009. Carmichael joined the Saints in 2006 as part of former head coach Sean Payton's initial staff. He was promoted to lead the offense three years later. While Carmichael had the offensive coordinator title for 15 seasons, he only had sole play-calling responsibilities for the last two. Payton held on to most of those duties for much of his tenure. He left the team in January 2022 and now serves as head coach of the Denver Broncos.
Carmichael, 53, was the last remaining staff member to remain with the team continuously during the 18-year stretch since Payton's hiring, as noted by NewOrleans.Football reporter Mike Triplett. Carmichael leaves the franchise having facilitated some stellar offensive seasons, highlighted by the 2009 Super Bowl victory led by Drew Brees.
Dennis Allen was promoted from defensive coordinator to head coach when Payton and the Saints split. The team finished 9-8 this season and failed to make the playoffs, finishing second in the NFC South. Allen's second season as head coach marked a two-game improvement from the last campaign as the Saints won four of their last five regular-season games. Still, next year is likely to be a make-or-break effort for Allen's job.
After the Saints finished 22nd in the league in scoring and 19th in total offense, the next offensive coordinator will have his work cut out for him as well. Some of that effort will include improvement from quarterback Derek Carr, who signed a four-year, $150 million contract last offseason. New Orleans would have to take a dead cap hit of $52.8 million to move on from Carr before next season, according to Spotrac.