It appears the New Orleans Saints will have at least one coaching change heading into the 2026 season, with more potentially on the horizon.
Saints legend and assistant offensive line coach Jahri Evans is set to take an assistant OL coach job with the Steelers, according to reports. Evans would join the staff of newly hired Mike McCarthy, whom Evans played for with the Packers in 2017. The move would also mark a return to Evans' home state of Pennsylvania, where he starred at Bloomsburg College before the Saints drafted him No. 108 overall in 2006.
Evans played 10 years at guard for the Saints and was an anchor along the offensive line that protected Drew Brees. He was named to six Pro Bowls and was recently inducted into the team's Ring of Honor. Evans is also a finalist for the Hall of Fame, though he's considered a longshot to land induction this year.
Evans first joined the Saints coaching staff as an intern on Dennis Allen's staff and has served as an OL assistant for the past two seasons. As the job is not a clear promotion the Saints could have potentially blocked the hire, though they have allowed coaches to leave in the past for lateral moves under similar circumstances. The hire has not been officially announced.
One question remaining will be whether Evans is the only Saints coach headed to Pittbsburgh, with current QBs coach Scott Tolzien expected to interview for the team's offensive coordinator role on McCarthy's staff. Tolzien is another former Packers player under McCarthy who also worked with him as a coach on the Cowboys.
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Saints GM Mickey Loomis said this week at the Senior Bowl that staffing changes would be "unlikely," indicating that the team doesn't expect firings. It's possible that more assistant coaches see their names surface for other openings around the league with 10 new coaches taking over jobs and assembling staffs this season. The only two jobs remaining without head coach hirings are the Cardinals and Raiders.