Saints Linked to Ex-Cowboys Coach If Scott Tolzien Rumors Come True

The Saints could be in the market for a new quarterback coach this offseason...

Jul 30, 2025; New Orleans, LA, USA; New Orleans Saints quarterback coach Scott Tolzien looks on during training camp at Ochsner Sports Performance Center. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images | Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

The New Orleans Saints saw a breakout year from rookie quarterback Tyler Shough and they're relying heavily on his progression as a player to carry their franchise forward.

But Shough could hit his first NFL speedbump.

Saints quarterback coach Scott Tolzien has been connected to other jobs with other teams, notably with old friend Mike McCarthy and the Pittsburgh Steelers. At this rate, it seems like it's only a matter of time before Tolzien leaves Shough and the Saints for a new job.

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John Sigler of Saints Wire recently suggested the Saints could target former Dallas Cowboys quarterback coach and 14-year NFL veteran Jon Kitna to replace Tolzien if the rumors come true.

Jon Kitna could be the Saints' replacement for Scott Tolzien

Lakota East head coach Jon Kitna watches his team during the Thunderhawks' 20-13 win over Mason Friday, Aug. 30, 2024. | Tony Tribble for The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK

"The 2003 NFL Comeback Player of the Year started 124 games for a couple of different teams in his 16-year pro career before trying his hand at coaching high school ball, initially for his alma mater in Tacoma, Wash.; like several other assistants on Kellen Moore's coaching staff, he has roots in the Pacific Northwest," Sigler wrote. "Kitna also coached at different high schools in Texas, Phoenix (missing Tyler Shough at a crosstown rival by a year), and lately the Cincinnati suburbs.

"But he took a break from high school football in 2019 to return to the Dallas Cowboys (where he finished his playing career) and coach Dak Prescott. It could be that high school football is his passion, but if he's open to another venture in the NFL, Kitna would make sense for New Orleans."

Kitna is the current head coach at Lakota East High School, but it likely wouldn't be hard to pull him away and add him to the Saints' coaching staff.

Kitna found a lot of success in the NFL as a player before coaching the Cowboys quarterbacks for a season in 2019.

It would be a bit of a risk to put Shough's early development in the hands of a veteran coach with only one-year of experience in the NFL, but the Saints might not have many enticing options.

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