Although there has been plenty of hype and optimism surrounding the New Orleans Saints this offseason, especially after the team finished 2025 strong and appeared to turn things around. Bleacher Report’s Brad Gagnon believes the squad is still in the rebuilding process and isn’t at a point where fans should have high expectations or panic.
Gagnon also believes the Saints are still trending in the right direction, especially with Shough entering another season of development. With a young quarterback and the team’s overall rebuild, he believes New Orleans has reason to remain patient. The Saints may not be ready to compete at the highest level just yet, but he sees enough progress to believe the team is headed on the right path.
“Tyler Shough has some room to develop in less than perfectly linear fashion. The Saints remain in the tunnel but the light is there and there’s little reason to panic right now.” That outlook reflects why Gagnon believes Saints fans can afford to remain patient with the team’s current trajectory.
New Orleans Saints have plenty reasons to raise expectations in 2026
While there may not be a reason for Saints fans to panic, there is an argument that New Orleans should have a little more urgency heading into the 2026 season. The team has added several proven veterans this offseason, including Travis Etienne, Kaden Elliss, giving the roster more experience and talent it had a year ago. Those additions raise expectations and make it harder to view another losing season as simply a part of the rebuilding process.
New Orleans is also better equipped to compete than it was during last seasons struggles. Tyler Shough now has more experience, Chris Olave remains a proven playmaker and the Saints have added more talent around their young quarterback.
With a stronger roster on paper, the Saints should expect tangible improvement rather than simply hoping their young players continue to develop. Another season without meaningful progress could raise legitimate questions about whether the rebuild is actually moving in the right direction.
The NFC South gives the Saints another reason to push for success now. With the division appearing wide open, New Orleans should have a realistic opportunity to stay in the playoff race if it can put together a consistent season.
The Saints don’t need to be a Super Bowl contender just yet, but the combination of veteran additions, improved talent, and a favorable division should create a little more pressure to win now. Gagnon might be right that there’s no need to panic, but there’s certainly needs to be more urgency than the 2/10 rating he suggests.
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