The New Orleans Saints finished the 2025 season with the worst record in the NFC South, but expectations are beginning to shift. After a strong finish to last year, a promising young quarterback, and several offseason additions, the Saints have emerged as one of the leagues most intriguing turnaround candidates heading into 2026. Now, many believe New Orleans has the blueprint to make a big leap.
New Orleans has the pieces in place to make a worst to first leap in the NFC South. That belief isn’t limited to Saints fans either. PFF’s Bradley Locker recently identified the Saints as the most likely team among the teams that from worst to first in 2026. With Tyler Shough showing significant promise down the stretch of his rookie season and a defense that finished among the league’s better units in 2025, the Saints have several reasons to believe they can win the NFC South.
"New Orleans has a sense of real optimism based on the development of second-year quarterback Tyler Shough, who produced the 10th-best overall PFF grade (77.1) at the position from Weeks 13-18. Moreover, the Saints should still field a strong defense under Brandon Staley, one which ranked ninth in EPA per play a season ago and fields Chase Young ,Kaden Elliss, Kool-Aid McKinstry and Justin Reid."
Strong finish, smart additions have New Orleans Saints eyeing division championship
The optimism surrounding the Saints extends beyond the progress made during the second half of last season. While Tyler Shough’s emergence at quarterback and a defense that finished among the league’s better units provide a solid foundation, New Orleans also made a concerted effort to strengthen its roster this offseason. By addressing several areas of need on offense, the Saints have positioned themselves to take another step forward in 2026 and challenge for the NFC South title.
Locker also pointed out to the Saints offseason additions as a major reason for optimism. "Encouragingly, the Saints made several splashes this offseason to address weaknesses by acquiring running back Travis Etienne, receiver Jordyn Tyson and guard David Edwards. Now, Kellen Moore’s group could have enough to claim its first division title since 2020 — especially given that the rest of the NFC South yet again looks uncertain."
The case for the Saints as the league’s top worst to first candidate is easy to understand. After showing marked improvement during the second half of the 2025 season, New Orleans enters 2026 with increased expectations and a roster that appears better equipped to compete. The combination of a promising young quarterback, proven playmakers, and stability on defense give the Saints a realistic opportunity to climb from the bottom of the NFC South to the top.
Add us as a preferred source on Google