The New Orleans Saints made a major organizational move in early November. The Saints parted ways with third-year head coach Dennis Allen. Allen might have ruffled some feathers in a decision that involved second-year running back Kendre Miller.
Miller has dealt with injury woes that have brought plenty of criticism his way, but his availability in 2024 may have been affected by Dennis Allen. Miller tweaked his hamstring against the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 8, and the Saints originally had a plan to hold him out of Week 9 and return him for Week 10.
However, Dennis Allen reportedly “had a lot to do with” the decision to ultimately put Kendre Miller on the Injured Reserve, which allegedly caused confusion and frustration amongst the Saints' coaching staff, per Ross Jackson of LousianaSports.net.
Miller is reportedly feeling 100 percent and can return to the field, but since he is on the IR, he will have to wait until the Saints' Dec. 8 game against the New York Giants.
A “lack of trust” in Miller's ability to stay healthy may have been the motivation for the former head coach's puzzling decision, a source suggested to Louisiana Sports. Allen's injury move on Miller could have been just one of several things that contributed to the Saints moving on from his tenure.
Saints are taking time with coach search
New Orleans is struggling midway through the season, and despite Allen's departure, Mickey Loomis is not in a rush to hire another coach soon.
“That’s not something that we’re gonna be real active with right now. There’s plenty of time for that when the season ends,” Loomis said. “Our focus has got to be on our team, our players, our coaches, and our staff. You learn more about who you have and the people you’re working with in adversity than you do when things are going well.”
Can New Orleans work together to get more wins on their record before the year comes to a close?