The New Orleans Saints have not been in trouble for quite some time. New head coaches and quarterbacks have found their way for decades, and the Saints are expecting less than they have in their lives.
Perhaps this means that the saints can shock certain people and fly under radar until prime time is ready. Maybe that means the season is very difficult for fans. The team's core is still intact, but the same core has not made the playoffs since Drew Brees retired. Their 2025 schedule is full of tough showdowns and they need to work hard on very slim margins to make where they want to go this season.
Many NFL analysts can't see them going far. Most expect to lose 10 or more games in 2025. Just check the expert's predictions.
The Saints will start three straight games with the NFC West team and have a tough two-week road trip that will take them from coast to coast against the Seattle Seahawks and Buffalo Bills. All of this led to the climax of the Atlanta Falcons in Week 18.
So, will the Saints in 2025 be better than in 2024? Kellen Moore replaced head coach Dennis Allen, and Brandon Staley replaced Allen as the defensive game caller. Derek Carr won't be a quarterback. Regardless of rookie draft pick Tyler Shoough starts with QB, odds makers have very low odds. Can they beat those expectations?
The New Orleans Saints hired Kellen Moore to fill their head coaching position, who might be a bright prospect for an offensive lead captain, but his team has the most uncertain quarterback situation in the league.
Quarterback Derek Carr announced his retirement after undergoing a medical scan, indicating a significant change in his shoulder cuff.
Moore told reporters that the team will conduct open competition for the starting position.
Spencer Rattler and Jake Haener struggled to be live starters last season. New Orleans chose them on the 3rd day of the first two drafts.
This year, the Saints selected Tyler Shoough in the second round of the draft. He spent seven years in college, but he only started the whole season due to constant struggles from injuries.
With this signal call, Moore may rely on ground attacks to build offensive rhythms and relieve pressure on his inexperienced passers.
Run back to Alvin Kamara with more of the best years left, and if Kendre Miller can stay healthy, he can be supplemented. Rookie sixth rounder Devin Neal is a 5'11" 213-pound tail that can run and catch up with the backcourt. Kansas's product could be a two-thirds contributor.
The Saints' defense can face tremendous pressure to make points lower to get a chance of the game, which is a difficult requirement throughout the season.
New Orleans is a strong candidate to end the league’s worst record.
Last year, the Saints took a 5-12 record, their worst in 20 years as Drew Brees arrived in town. Can new head coach Kellen Moore get the same record in rookie quarterback and continue to question the defensive end? Without Derek Carr last year, the Saints scored 0-7 and now he's retired, they'll be investing a lot in second-round draft pick Tyler Shoough. In his first year, no rookie 25 or older threw on 14+ touchdown passes. If New Orleans can keep top receivers Chris Olave and Rasheed Shaheed healthy, that's the point. Demario Davis and Cam Jordan will be 36 this season, so how many are they left? The schedule is linked to the Titans, Jets and Giants - swept three games and separated from the Falcons and Panthers, who have already won five games and beat those expectations.
The Saints will win their season opener…but lose the next three games. The Saints will figure out how to resemble last year and expand their NFL best home open winning streak to seven games. But the positive momentum won't last long, as they've played Week 2 with the 49ers, who are also looking to rebound from a tough season, while long road trips will stagnate. For the Saints, having a new head coach, aging defense, and no senior quarterback, the first month is not easy.
The Saints are in a weird position, as shown below, our PFSN FPM only gives them only 2.5% of the playoff chances, while the 14.2% chances earned 14.2% to win the first pick.
The New Orleans Saints are trapped in an inescapable cycle. Their offensive and defensive power declines – a combination that usually requires a comprehensive reconstruction. Their defense + rating dropped from 84.8 in 2023 to 71.6 in 2024, ranking 19th. But the real reason they rank so low in the first place is because their quarterback is uncertain.
With Derek Carr's sudden retirement, the team may not be competitive. Carr was absent last year, and New Orleans scored 0-7 with a score of 0-7, with an average of 13.3 points per game, with a difference of -17.6 points. Second round rookie Tyler Shoough may be more experienced than most rookies, but his lack of mobility may be ranked 23rd in the PFSN metrics last year.
Those who play at the center will benefit from better skill position health as both Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed suffered end-of-season damage in 2024.
Even in this case, though, the Saints once again looked like a team trapped in the NFL purgatory, despite the floors being much lower than in the past seasons.