New Orleans Saints head coach Kellen Moore did not provide a definitive answer regarding the future of quarterback Derek Carr during his introductory news conference Thursday.
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"Derek's a tremendous quarterback in this league. I've had so much respect for him, the journey that he's been on, he's a starter in this league," Moore said. "He's a premier player in this league. ... Really excited to team up with him and go through this process and so just like any player on this roster, I just got here a few days ago and I'm excited to go through this journey with all of them."
Moore, 36, is the youngest head coach in the NFL and inherits a roster that will likely be well over the 2025 salary cap, although the exact number is yet to be determined. The Saints are required to be cap-compliant by the start of free agency on March 12, which includes addressing Carr's $51.4 million salary cap hit.
When asked whether the team faces a decision at the quarterback position, Moore reiterated his respect for Carr. "We're fortunate to have him and we're excited to go through this process as we build this roster together," he said. "Again, I'm meeting these guys for the first time the last few days, really excited to meet more of them. This will be a lot of fun."
Moore added that he has not yet met most of the players and staff after officially accepting the position on Tuesday.
Coming off a one-year stint as the Philadelphia Eagles' offensive coordinator and a Super Bowl LIX victory, Moore stated that he plans to call plays in New Orleans. He emphasized using motion and tempo to challenge opposing defenses.
"We like to use a lot of tempo every place that I've been," Moore said. "We'll use shifts and motions when we huddle, but we want to stress the defense. Now whether we have to throw it 50 times or run it 50 times, I really don't care, however we've got to win a football game. We'll do that based off who we have available to us and who's on our roster, but we want to be a team that stresses the defense, challenges them, utilizes our entire roster, the depth that we have and take advantage of all these different players' superpowers."
Moore, who previously worked with Eagles running back Saquon Barkley, will now have Alvin Kamara in New Orleans after the running back signed a contract extension in the fall.
"Tons of respect for Alvin as a player," Moore said. "Obviously one of the premier players in our league, his ability to play in the pass game and the run game, all the different versatile roles that he can play. A lot of people for a long time have been looking, 'How can we find an Alvin on our football team?' And so that's been a really important piece. It'll continue to be a really important piece. We're really fortunate to have him."
The Saints, who lost 15-12 to the Eagles in Week 3, still present Moore with a talented roster. He believes the team remains a contender.
"Obviously injuries were a challenge this year and those things sometimes are challenging and uncontrollable circumstances and so we recognize there's so much good going on here," Moore said. "We want to embrace the good, don't lose any of the good while building this thing the right way."
When asked if he would be involved in the roster-building process, Moore called it "a collaborative effort" but did not comment on whether he felt the team needed a rebuild this year.
"I think certainly we're going to compete for this division," Moore said. "We have a great opportunity in the NFC South and we're going to focus on that while building this team the right way."
In a related move, a league source confirmed Thursday that Chase Haslett will join the Saints' coaching staff as tight ends coach. Haslett, the son of former Saints head coach Jim Haslett, has spent the past few years with the Dallas Cowboys, most recently as an offensive quality control coach and pass game specialist.
