3 dream Dennis Allen replacements who can save the Saints in 2025

New Orleans Saints head coach Dennis Allen is not only on the hot seat, but his ass is on fire. The Saints have lost seven straight games after falling to the lowly Carolina Panthers, making Bryce Young look like a competent NFL quarterback.

Allen replaced Sean Payton a few years ago, and it didn't quite work out as planned. Very few successors can match the era of greatness that Payton left behind. Fans in the Bayou were used to wearing bags over their heads. With Payton and Drew Brees, they won a Super Bowl and made regular postseason appearances. They really changed everything.

But thanks to Allen and general manager Mickey Loomis' decisions, the Saints are back where they started. Ironically, the fastest route to relevance happens next Tuesday! Yes, we should all vote in the upcoming election, but Tuesday is also the NFL trade deadline. New Orleans has plenty of resources to send to contending teams, especially considering it isn't one of those teams. In return, the Saints can stash their draft pick locker and (maybe) streamline their rebuild.

But who should lead this reconstruction?

Allen will likely be fired in the coming weeks or after the season, it depends on how much the owners of the Loomis and Saints respect him as a person. That sounds mean, but New Orleans has made little to no progress under Allen in recent years. Honestly, it was a miracle he survived last season. Just last week, Allen admitted his career status was uncertain.

“We have conversations every day, you know what I mean? So I don’t feel like I have to have those conversations anymore,” Allen said. “I think we all understand that this is a results-oriented company. And we have to play better football.”

If New Orleans fires Allen, they should aim high to find a replacement. Given the talent already on the roster, they should have guys like Bill Belichick available to them if they don't mind giving him full control. That's the thing with Bill – he's had so much success that he won't accept anything less and won't let anyone else make his decisions.

Belichick was rejected by the Falcons last offseason. What better way to get revenge than by leading on your rival?

As much as Derek Carr is vested in all of the Saints' offensive failures, it's hard to blame him for the current seven-game losing streak since he was injured for most of it. If New Orleans decides to start over, which I would definitely recommend they do, they will need to find a young quarterback who will fit into their new face of the franchise once Carr moves on. This is where Slowik comes into play.

In Houston, Slowik was immediately successful with a rookie QB in CJ Stroud. This season, Stroud and Slowik have picked up right where they left off and boast one of the top-ranked offenses in the NFL. Slowik was signed to an extension in the offseason and is working under a defensive head coach in DeMeco Ryans. This means he has full control of the offense.

Slowik interviewed with Atlanta, Carolina, Seattle, Tennessee and Washington last offseason but was considered too rough. Another year of coaching — and another top-notch offensive attack with a young QB — should be all the Saints need to make the move.

Ben Johnson was on the verge of taking over as the Commanders' head coach last offseason, a decision he may already be questioning given the early success of rookie QB Jayden Daniels. Johnson could be the leader of this offense. Instead, he's in Detroit, riding Dan Campbell's coattails. But don't get it twisted, Johnson will likely still get head coaching offers this offseason, and once he's done in Detroit this time, he'll be able to pick his next destination.

Johnson is (much like Slowik) one of the best young offensive minds in the NFL. Campbell may be a former tight end, but make no mistake – Johnson can do whatever he wants with the offense. Jared Goff has thrived in Johnson's system and even secured a new contract as one of the highest-paid quarterbacks in the NFL.

The reason Johnson should be prioritized over, say, Slowik in New Orleans is because he can succeed despite being a quarterback. The Saints would certainly be wise to move on from Carr, but if they would rather hold out on his contract, perhaps a year under Johnson would do the 33-year-old some good. Heck, the same thing was said about Goff not too long ago.

Johnson is the best head coach candidate on the market for a reason. The Saints will not be alone in their interest.