New Orleans Saints 2026 Preview

WRITTEN BY: MIKE JOHNSON (@MJOHNSON_86)

Coaching/Philosophy/Scheme Changes ::

• Offense: Kellen Moore returns for his second season as the Saints head coach following a strong end to the 2025 season offensively. Moore has a good history of leading NFL offenses and is set up well to continue the upward trajectory.
• Defense: Former Chargers head coach Brandon Staley is also back for his second year as the Saints defensive coordinator. New Orleans had a top-10 defense that was very strong, especially against the pass, after struggling in 2024.

Personnel Changes ::

• After a very strong finish to 2025, last year’s second round pick returns as the Saints starting quarterback. The team also retains Spencer Rattler, who will compete with newly acquired Zach Wilson to be Shough’s primary backup.
• New Orleans signed running back Travis Etienne Jr. to a huge contract in free agency, and he should slide right in as the team’s primary ball carrier. Alvin Kamara is still on the team as of mid-May, but it is far from a guarantee he will be on the roster Week 1 due to his contract. If Kamara stays, he will be used in a complementary passing down role that actually suits him well at this point in his career.
• Behind Kamara, the Saints have young former day three picks in Devin Neal and Kendre Miller. If Kamara stays, one of those two will be cut. If Kamara leaves, both have a good chance of making the team.
• New Orleans addressed their lack of depth at wide receiver behind Chris Olave quickly and drastically with the selection of dynamic rookie Jordan Tyson with the eighth overall pick in the NFL Draft. He should immediately play a full-time role next to Olave, with Devaughn Vele operating as the third receiver. Mason Tipton and fourth round pick Bryce Lance are likely to be the primary backups.
• Tight end Juwan Johnson enters his age-30 season coming off a career year and should be the primary tight end this year. The Saints also signed former first round pick Noah Fant in free agency for depth and to complement Johnson. Fant is talented and it wouldn’t be shocking to see Johnson and Fant on the field together often as NFL teams continue to trend towards heavier personnel.

Schedule ::

• Divisional Games (6) ::
  • ATL x2, NO x2, TB x2
• NFC North (4)::
  • @ CHI, @ DET, vs. GB, vs. MIN
• AFC North (4)::
  • @ BAL, @ CIN, vs. CLE, vs. PIT
• vs. LVR, vs. ARI, @ Giants

Bull Case ::

The Saints struggled early in the first season under Kellen Moore with Spencer Rattler as their quarterback as they adjusted to a new offense and tried to figure out the right personnel. They continued to have issues due to injuries and lack of depth/talent at times throughout the season, but ended 2025 on a major upswing with Tyler Shough under center. That offensive improvement late in the season happened despite significant and extended injuries that left them very shorthanded, which is an extremely bullish sign for head coach Kellen Moore and quarterback Tyler Shough.

This year, the Saints have upgrades at every position. New addition Travis Etienne Jr. had very strong showings in two of the last three seasons and should stabilize the backfield and give them more consistency in their ability to move the football. Jordan Tyson’s dynamic ability is something that was sorely lacking last year for the Saints receivers, especially after the trade of Rashid Shaheed. Tyson is by far the most talented receiver that Olave has played with in his NFL career and the duo should open things up for each other nicely, while Tyson’s acquisition also slides Devaughn Vele and Mason Tipton into ancillary roles that better fit their skill sets. Finally, the tight end room has an underrated amount of talent and Moore should be able to use them effectively as complements to the primary weapons.

The Bull Case for New Orleans is very straightforward, as they had positive momentum when we last saw them and they made meaningful additions to their skill group. Also, their division is once again exceedingly mediocre and their schedule is relatively soft elsewhere with three of the five worst teams from 2025 on the slate. As explored previously with other NFC South teams, their schedule also matches them up with all of the NFC North and AFC North which could lend itself to a plethora of games where the Saints are pushed into faster game scripts.