Kellen Moore's building of New Orleans Saints culture has been marked by team building activities throughout the offseason this year and last year. Juwan Johnson's latest comments prove the culture is more than team building. Moore has the guys with the correct mindset going into a big season.
With the amount of expectations heaped on the Saints going into the year, Johnson simply stated, "we don't have to prove anyting to anyboy." If his comments are an echo of the team's mentality, the Saints' culture is returning to a good place.
"We don't have to prove anything to anybody" ⚜️@juwanplease | @PatrickClaybon | @Saints pic.twitter.com/YFrXvoJCSj
— NFL Network (@nflnetwork) August 1, 2026
Juwan Johnson has the right mentality for the Saints
The idea the Saints don’t have to prove anything to anyone is the right mindset to have going into this year specific. While it could be said ahead of any season, this year is a bit different than most. The Saints have more eyes on them than they have recently, and that equates to more pressure.
The truth is the Saints have a lot to prove to a lot of people. That just can’t be the sentiment in the building.
Shough is going into Year 2 after a good rookie campaign. Naturally, conversations of a sophomore slump will pop up. The sophomore slump conversations grow louder when it comes to Shough because he played just half the season, and it wasn’t the toughest competition.
The Saints added Travis Etienne and Jordyn Tyson in the skill position ranks, giving them a strong 1-2 punch at running back and wide receiver. David Edwards was another high profile free agent signing that should help take the offense to another level.
The hot end to the season plus the multiple standout additions in free agency and the draft have given the Saints heightened expectations. It’s manifested itself in the Saints predicted as a prime candidate to go from worst to first by many analysts or flat out being presented as a surprise team to watch in the league. For fans, the optimism is there to win the division and not just because the quality of the NFC South.
As much as a team may try block out outside noise, they hear some of it for sure. How they react to it is the measure of pressure.
Feeling the need to justify those predictions or prove outside voices correct is just adding an extra weight to the season. The goal should be to prove everyone correct, because those predictions align with what the Saints are aiming to accomplish. It just can’t be the mindset or motivation.
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