On Thursday, the Saints interviewed Todd Grantham for the position of defensive coordinator. On Friday, the current Georgia defensive coordinator opted to withdraw his name from the process.
Or in other words (perhaps) Grantham was told he wouldn’t get the job.
“I want to thank Sean Payton and the New Orleans Saints organization for the opportunity to interview and get to know them,” Grantham said in a statement, via Larry Holder of the New Orleans Times-Picayune. “They are a first class organization in every respect. As I said Wednesday, Georgia is a great place, my family loves it here, and I do as well.
“This is where our heart is and today I have withdrawn my name from consideration for the position with the Saints. I’m excited to start preparations for another season and along with the rest of our defensive staff look forward to coaching some really good returning players as well as developing some very talented newcomers.”
Grantham was rumored to be a candidate to become the Eagles defensive coordinator. It’s possible that he sat for the Saints gig in order to increase his own visibility while also creating the impression that the Saints have done their due diligence before inevitably hiring Rob Ryan, a move that Holder told PFT Live this week isn’t a popular one locally.