The 10 biggest what-ifs in New Orleans Saints history

The New Orleans Saints have been in the NFL since 1967 and have had their share of ups and downs. They went through decades of struggles before they finally turned a corner in the 1990s and then when Sean Payton joined in 2006, they really took off.

As it stands now, they have one Super Bowl win but there are some "what ifs" surrounding them that could have truly changed their history. Here, we look at the 10 biggest "what ifs" in Saints history.

10. What if Archie Manning had more talent around him?

There's no name in the NFL with more pull than Manning. Peyton Manning and Eli Manning each had a long run of success with Payton often considered one of the best quarterback two to three quarterbacks to ever play the game. The brothers each won two Super Bowls as well, with Eli leading the New York Giants to one of the most impressive wins ever when they knocked off the undefeated New England Patriots.

As great as they were, the original Manning had a lot of struggles in the NFL. Archie Manning spent 11 years with the New Orleans Saints and while he finished his career with short stints with the Houston Oilers and then the Minnesota Vikings, his career was largely played out in New Orleans.

The elder Manning was a starter in 129 of 134 appearances for the Saints and had a frustratingly poor 35-91-3 record. He finished with 21,734 yards passing and a 115-to-156 touchdown-to-interception ratio.

While the numbers weren't great, he was with the Saints during the worst of their years. He joined in 1971, just four years after their introduction and the roster around him was rough.

Perhaps that changes if he was surrounded by more talent. If so, it's fair to ask if he would have fared as well as his two sons did — or as well as most expect his grandson Arch Manning to perform. We'll never know the answer but it's a safe assumption that Archie Manning would have been a far better player with the weapons his sons enjoyed.