Sad news: One candidate for the New Orleans Saints’ next offensive coordinator has withdrawn from…

Just in: Saints offensive coordinator tracker: One candidate drops off the list, another interview scheduled..

One candidate for the New Orleans Saints’ next offensive coordinator has withdrawn from consideration.

The Chicago Bears are allegedly planning to recruit former Seattle Seahawks offensive coordinator Shane Waldron to replace the offensive coordinator role. Waldron, who spent two years in Seattle and previously worked with Sean McVay in Los Angeles, was linked to the Saints when New Orleans requested to interview him.

But, even though Waldron is no longer available, there are still lots of possibilities. Here’s an in-depth look at the Saints’ offensive coordinator hunt.

Jerrod Johnson, the Houston Texans quarterbacks coach.

After three seasons with four or less victories, the Texans rapidly rebounded in 2023, winning the AFC South and advancing to the divisional round of the postseason.

Rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud was a key engine of the revival, and his outstanding rookie season has made his position coach a name to remember this offseason.

Johnson, 35, has only four seasons of NFL coaching experience — none of which involved calling plays at the professional level — but his results speak for themselves.

Stroud, the second overall pick in last year’s draft, had one of the best seasons ever by a rookie quarterback. He led the NFL in passing yards per game (273.9) and interception percentage (1.0%), and he became just the third rookie quarterback in NFL history to pass for over 4,000 yards and 20 touchdowns while completing more than 60% of his passes.

Before joining the Texans last offseason, Johnson was the Minnesota Vikings’ quarterbacks coach for a year, when Kirk Cousins had a terrific season, throwing for 4,547 yards and 29 touchdowns while leading Minnesota to a 13-4 record.

Johnson began his NFL career as a Bill Walsh Diversity Coaching Fellow with the Indianapolis Colts in 2019, after which he worked as a quality control assistant for the Colts for the next two seasons.

While he has never worked directly with Rams coach Sean McVay or 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan, he has ties to both coaching trees: Vikings head coach and offensive play-caller Kevin O’Connell was McVay’s offensive coordinator for two seasons, and Texans offensive coordinator and play-caller Bobby Slowik spent six seasons as an assistant on Shanahan’s staff in San Francisco.

Johnson also allegedly has an interview scheduled with the Cleveland Browns for the vacant offensive coordinator post. The Saints were allegedly planning to conduct a Zoom interview with Johnson on Monday.

Zac Robinson, the Los Angeles Rams’ quarterbacks coach.

Robinson, 37, has been an in-demand coordinator candidate this coaching cycle, having interviewed with multiple teams. Beyond New Orleans, the New England Patriots, Las Vegas Raiders, Pittsburgh Steelers, and Chicago Bears have all indicated interest.

There are good reasons why Robinson has options. For starters, McVay’s coaching tree has generated impressive results thus far. Green Bay’s Matt LaFleur, Minnesota’s Kevin O’Connell, and Cincinnati’s Zac Taylor are all successful head coaches who worked on offense under McVay. Waldron advanced from assistant coach of the Rams’ quarterbacks to innovative coordinator in Seattle.

Robinson has collaborated with well-known players like Matthew Stafford, Carson Wentz, and Baker Mayfield while with the Rams. Stafford had a bounce-back year in 2023, throwing for 3,965 yards and 24 touchdowns against 11 interceptions. The year before, Robinson was credited with assisting Mayfield in settling in with five games remaining after being released by the Carolina Panthers. Mayfield’s improved performance with the Rams helped him secure a one-year contract with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Robinson has been the Rams’ quarterbacks coach for two years. He formerly worked as an assistant quarterbacks coach (2021, 2019) and assistant receivers coach (2020). Before coaching, he played quarterback at Oklahoma State and spent four years in the NFL—with the Patriots, Seahawks, and Detroit Lions.

Because of its success, replicating McVay’s offense has become increasingly popular. McVay, like Shanahan, leans heavily on pre-snap motion, play action, and fast throws to catch defenses off guard. Interestingly, the Rams offense moved this year from focusing on outside zone run concepts — McVay’s previous identity — to a gap-running approach. That tweak worked brilliantly, as the Rams ranked 11th in running.

Dan Pitcher, the Cincinnati Bengals’ quarterbacks coach.

Pitcher may not have to leave Cincinnati to be promoted, depending on what happens with Bengals offensive coordinator Brian Callahan. Callahan is applying for many head coaching positions and is expected to have second interviews with the Carolina Panthers and the Atlanta Falcons.

If Callahan is tempted away, Pitcher would be the logical choice to take his place. But if the Bengals keep Callahan, then Pitcher is an intriguing alternative for New Orleans. Also only 37 years old—sense a theme here?— Pitcher has spent the previous four seasons coaching Cincinnati’s quarterbacks, but he has been with the team since 2016.

Pitcher has overseen the growth of standout quarterback Joe Burrow, who has emerged as one of the league’s best signal callers. According to the Cincinnati Enquirer, Taylor described Pitcher as a “critical part” of the Bengals’ offense on third downs, while Burrow praised their “great working relationship.”

After interviewing for coordinator positions with the Baltimore Ravens and Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2022, Pitcher was offered a hefty contract extension by the Bengals to remain in Cincinnati.

“I essentially decided that the best place for me was to still be in Cincinnati this year,” Pitcher told the Bengals’ website when asked about interviewing in Tampa. “I discussed it at the time. I had a wonderful experience down there. And it is a step I am eager to take, and I hope to have the opportunity to do so when the time is perfect. And I’ll be excited when that happens.”

This season, Pitcher also did an excellent job preparing Jake Browning to start in place of an injured Burrow. Over nine games, with seven starts, Browning completed 70.4% of his passes and had a 98.4 passer rating, while the Bengals had a winning record (4-3) during the 27-year-old’s

Interestingly, Pitcher began his career as a scout. He spent four seasons in the Indianapolis Colts’ executive office before joining the Bengals as an offensive assistant in 2016.

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