When is the Saints BYE week in 2022?

The New Orleans Saints get a BYE week in Week 14 of the 2022 season, which is much later than desired.

The Saints’ 2022 schedule was just released and there’s one glaring issue we have to nitpick. New Orleans gets their BYE week very, very late in the season at Week 14, and that makes the team’s path to success slightly more difficult given this season’s slate of games.

NOLA plays the Minnesota Vikings on Oct. 2 in London, so we thought the league would give them an automatic BYE the following week, as is typically tradition with teams who play a game overseas.

However, the NFL decided to give the Saints a rest in the last stretch of the season and we’re just scratching our heads wondering why.

New Orleans Saints get a BYE in Week 14 of the 2022 season

From Week 9 to Week 13, the weeks right before the BYE, the Saints arguably face their toughest opponents in the Baltimore Ravens, Pittsburgh Steelers, Los Angeles Rams, San Francisco 49ers, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

The Saints get a BYE after that cruel stretch of games, which doesn’t do the roster much help when it comes to keeping players spry and healthy against fierce competition.

NOLA will also notably be on the road for the holidays, so the schedule just keeps getting worse and worse.

Why didn’t the NFL just give the Saints a BYE after their London game? The Saints won’t get their rest until mid-December, and we’re not sure the team can stay elite especially during that stretch from Weeks 9 to 13.

What do you think? Were the Saints screwed over by their BYE week placement?