Justin Reid didn’t pull any punches when discussing his expectations for the New Orleans Saints this year. Year 2 for Reid is also Year 2 for the Kellen Moore, and Reid’s expectations embody the expedited timeline for the Saints.
Reid compared his mentality last year to where his head is at going into this season. “Last year, my opinion was all about setting the foundation, and the foundation has been set. Now, it’s about ‘hey, we need to go do something with this.’ We have a window right where we have a lot of talent on the team. We need to take advantage of it and start winning some playoff games and see how far we can go.”
Year 1 was always about setting a foundation, but no one expected Year 2 to be about competing when this journey first started. As we near the beginning of the season, Reid’s words don’t ring off as cocky or an overstatement. They sound like a reasonably high bar to set for a team primed to speed past their timeline.
Justin Reid proves team expectations match Saints fans' expectations
Many fans have spent the offseason impressed with the moves the Saints have made. Reid's urgency is what fans have said throughout the offseason, maybe even on a higher level. Most times the conversations are around the team becoming a playoff team, but Reid saying it's time to win some games takes it a step further.
The Saints are still in the midst of a rebuild. It just appears to be happening quicker than many expected. When the Saints hired Kellen Moore, the belief was it would take 2-3 years before things felt like they were turning in the right direction. It may still take that long to truly get things fully turned around, but the excitement is already present. At the worst, it feels like they're heading in the right direction.
The end of last season was furious. Reid's words affirmed the locker room feels that momentum from the turnaround as well. He was still careful in his optimism. "You don't win any games in the offseason" and "don't overlook anybody. This is the NFL. Every opponent is a good opponent," were two of Reid's biggest and most immediate pieces of advice
The former may be the most important piece for the Saints to remember. They had an explosive offseason after a strong close to the 2025 season. Remembering the big additions don't capitalize on the end of the year, they help you capitalize on it once the season starts is the right mindset to have.
The season isn't won in the offseason, but the Saints have certainly set themselves up well. Reid has a sense of urgency around the season that suggests he sees the window as open. He likely isn't the only one who believes that.
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