Since Drew Brees retired, everyone outside of the New Orleans Saints organization has been begging the organization to commit to a rebuild. However, the team has refused, instead opting for four mediocre seasons without a playoff appearance. By not committing to a rebuild, the team hasn’t been good enough to contend, but New Orleans also hasn’t been bad enough to land itself at the top of the draft.
After a 5-12 season in 2024, and the second head coach hire in three years, 2025 seems like as good of a time as ever to finally commit to this rebuild. However, new head coach Kellen Moore has made it clear he is not planning to coach a rebuilding football team. In his introductory press conference, Moore explained that his goal is to compete, and he believes the Saints are capable of doing that in his first year.
He admitted that the talented roster was one of the attractive aspects of the job, bringing up how it took a late touchdown by the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 3 to defeat the Saints. Moore went on to say that he believes the team is going to be competitive right away, and compete for the division title.
"I think, certainly, we're going to compete for this division. We have a great opportunity in the NFC South, and we're gonna focus on that while building this team the right way."Kellen Moore
Kellen Moore believes Saints are set up to win the NFC South in 2025
This may initially be disregarded as coach speak, but Moore isn’t wrong. The NFC South isn’t a strong division right now, and the Saints have proven to be competitive when healthy. While New Orleans had multiple issues last season, the biggest one was injuries. Moore acknowledged that in the press conference. If New Orleans can stay healthy, winning the division and going to the playoffs isn’t far fetched.
The concern, though, is how equipped are the Saints to actually make a run for the title, and how sustainable is the success. Considering that most of the key players are near the end of their careers, it doesn’t seem like building around them is a recipe for longevity, and that’s why a rebuild would make sense.
However, if Moore and the front office can find a way to incorporate young talent, while also leaning on the veterans, the Saints may be able to seamlessly transition into a new era without completely starting over.