The Saints may be into offseason mode, but the coaching staff will be busy.
The NFC South rival Carolina Panthers have requested permission to interview co-defensive coordinator Kris Richard for their defensive coordinator job, according to a report from NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.
Richard joins his fellow co-DC on the shortlist for teams with vacancies after the Atlanta Falcons requested Ryan Nielsen to interview for their opening after the retirement of Dean Pees.
And if it seems strange for coordinators to be getting interviewed for coordinator jobs with rivals, that's because it is. The NFL allows clubs to block hires by other teams in instances where they are poaching staff members for a lateral move. That is not allowed in instances where it'd be a promotion, for example, a defensive coordinator landing a job as a head coach (which was the case for Lions head coach Dan Campbell and defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn), or a front office staffer getting hired as a GM (which was the case for Terry Fontenot with the Falcons).
But the Saints' decision to go with the unusual co-defensive coordinator setup with Richard and Nielsen has opened the door. Either, or both, could technically be hired by other teams into a role as a lead defensive coordinator and play-caller. Saints head coach Dennis Allen calls the defensive plays for the Saints currently. Richard served as the secondary coach along with his co-DC role, with Nielsen focused on the defensive line. Both served in those position coach roles in 2021.
Allen indicated the co-DC setup was a positive experience and could return for another season. The Saints have made it clear that they wouldn't overreact to the emotion of the season and would follow their standard methodical approach and evaluation process. When Saints GM Mickey Loomis spoke to the media on Friday, that process had not yet taken place for Allen or the rest of the coaching staff.
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If Richard, 43, were to jump ship to another end of a bitter NFC South rivalry, it would shift the question from whether the co-DC setup should return, to Nielsen's potential role as the sole leader of it. And with both coaches getting interest from separate teams, the Saints might be forced to commit to one or the other, or risk losing both. Richard was the Cowboys defensive backs coach and passing game coordinator for two seasons prior to joining the Saints as the defensive backs coach in the 2021 season. He also does have notable experience as a defensive coordinator. He was the defensive backs coach for the Seattle Seahawks amid the peak "Legion of Boom" era, and served as DC from 2015-'17.
Richard has overseen a DB group that has impressed the past two seasons and with contributions from young and developing players like second-round pick Alontae Taylor and third-round pick Paulson Adebo, with star Marshon Lattimore missing games each of the past two seasons.
The bigger question in this, however: If the Panthers hired Richard, whose staff would he be on? Carolina fired Matt Rhule midseason, with Steve Wilks finishing out the season in an interim capacity.
The news marks yet another turn in an interesting offseason following a 7-10 campaign, and one that will be marked by the potential landing spot and trade return for Sean Payton. Multiple teams, including the Panthers, have already requested to interview the former Saints head coach. The Panthers would be a surprising new team for Payton, considering they don't have an established quarterback and don't possess a high enough pick to guarantee they can get their desired target. Other teams that have requested permission include the Denver Broncos, Houston Texans and Arizona Cardinals.
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