The New Orleans Saints are able to officially hire Klint Kubiak now that the Super Bowl is over. When the news was originally reported, it was received well by the Who Dat Nation. A large amount of the excitement comes from Kubiak’s previous involvement with the San Francisco 49ers and more importantly the Shanahan offensive system.
Excitement alone, however, won’t be enough for New Orleans next season. Now that Kubiak is in New Orleans, what are the biggest questions that need to be answered? Some questions can be answered immediately while others may not be answered until the season.
1
Will it work immediately?
It kind of needs to. Derek Carr doesn’t have the best track record in his first year in a new system. The Shanahan system has a reputation for being very quarterback friendly. The latter must overpower the former. The team’s success will be tied to the offensive turnaround. If Dennis Allen is on the hot seat, Kubiak is too. A slow first year for the offense could lead to a full blow up. That wouldn’t be good for Allen, Kubiak or Carr.
2
How much will the 2024 Saints resemble the 2021 Vikings?
Kubiak’s only tenure as an offensive coordinator was with the Minnesota Vikings in 2021. That wasn’t the best output for the Vikings that year. Overall, they fielded an average offense in most categories. The continued ascension of Justin Jefferson hid that, and Kirk Cousins made some late-career improvements, but the offense was middle of the pack in scoring, the most important stat.
3
The future of Trevor Penning
There are questions along the offensive line, none of which are bigger than the future of Trevor Penning. Klint Kubiak has no loyalty to anyone on the offense, so his evaluation won’t be clouded by prior decisions. Making a decision on Penning, and Peat too, will greatly decide how the Saints proceed in free agency and the draft.
4
How will they fill out the offensive staff?
The Saints have done a nearly a complete purge on the offensive coaching staff. When Pete Carmichael was fired, it should have been assumed New Orleans would retool the offensive staff unless Ronald Curry became the offensive coordinator. Obviously, that didn’t happen, and the only positional coach who remains is tight ends coach Clancy Barone. Offensive line and quarterback coaches have been reported, but there’s still empty slots to fill.
