Drew Brees explains why Saints fans should be excited for the 2024 season

Since Drew Brees retired after the 2020 NFL season, things have been rough for the New Orleans Saints. Whenever a franchise loses an all-time great quarterback, the expectation is that they will take a step back. However, the Saints still had many of their core veterans, so no one expected what the next three seasons actually produced.

In the three years since Brees’ retirement, New Orleans has finished 9-8, 7-10, and 9-8, missing the playoffs in all three seasons. Now, as the franchise prepares for the 2024 season, everyone knows it’s time to produce. If the Saints have another mediocre season, there will be plenty more people joining Brees as a former Saint.

Brees, however, is optimistic that things won’t come to that. The retried quarterback was recently in attendance to kick off French Quarter Fest, and he took time to speak with the media about the Saints. His overall message to fans was to be excited about the upcoming season because the NFC South is wide open, and New Orleans has a pretty good chance to win it.

Drew Brees believes Saints can win wide-open NFC South

Brees believes that Derek Carr has all the capabilities to be a part of a high-powered offense. He also said that New Orleans has some great skill position players and a good offensive line to help him out. He then went to the other side of the ball to talk about how Dennis Allen has done a great job with the defense. Ultimately, Brees drove home the point that the division is wide open and the Saints just have to go and take it.

That part is certainly a fact. However, Brees may have given the team some grace with some of the other things he said. For starters, the offensive line needs some work. It’s safe to assume that the Saints will select a couple of offensive linemen in the 2024 Draft. If those selected players are ready to start from day one, the line could be solid, giving New Orleans the chance to have an elite offense.

Brees also said the defense was a top-five unit. While that’s not entirely true, the Saints were solid defensively, limiting teams to 19.2 points a game, 8th in the league, and 327.2 yards a game, 13th in the NFL. However, they struggled to stop the run and were even worse against the pass.

If the Saints make the necessary changes to improve the things on both sides of the ball that held them back last season, they will have a good chance of reclaiming the NFC South throne and returning to the playoffs for the first time since Drew Brees retired.

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