The New Orleans Saints had their annual end-of-year press conference, which is also one of the few opportunities to speak with their general manager, Mickey Loomis. Naturally, he was asked how he wants to compete in 2026.
Loomis's response was straight to the point. "We don't want to just win the division. We don't want to be an 8-9 winning team in the division. We want to win the division, be dominant, and have a chance to make a run for the playoffs," the general manager said. "That's what our goal is going to be."
This isn't the first time that we've heard something like this from the team, even in the last week. Just two days before Loomis's press conference, quarterback Tyler Shough said that he'll be doing everything he can to make sure that he and the rest of the Saints are fighting for a Super Bowl. Additionally, with the way that their cap is expected to look next year, this offseason might be a busy one for the GM in New Orleans.
This offseason, the Saints might actually have some money to spend
Heading into the offseason, the New Orleans Saints have typically had to deal with such an enormous amount of money over the cap that it makes headlines each year. However, heading into the 2026 offseason, the story is a little different.
Right now, the Saints are around $24 million over the cap, which is $47 million down from last year. That means that they'll have the money to improve at some positions before the draft even comes around without having to do nearly as much as they have in year's past. The Saints could address positions like offensive guard, tight end, and even punter in free agency.
The new league year starts mid-March, about a month before the draft. Depending on how Loomis and co. handle things, they might be able to go BPA, which is something that has already been hinted at, along with trading back from the eighth pick.
If done correctly, the Saints can be a team that's much better than they were this year by filling some critical needs. They showed potential and have a young quarterback, so the Saints should be a more attractive landing spot than they've been recently.