With Super Bowl LX said and done, all eyes are on the next big game. The Los Angeles Rams and Seattle Seahawks are the odds-on favorites to appear, with odds of +950. Currently, the New Orleans Saints are on the other end of the spectrum with 100-1 odds.
That's tied for third worst in the league with the New York Giants, Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers, and Tennessee Titans. However, there is still a visible path to the Super Bowl when looking at the numbers. The Saints have the second-best odds at winning their division, +350, which gives them an automatic playoff berth. Only last year's division champions, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, have higher odds (+120).
It's clear by the way that the odds are set that the Saints are underestimated heading into next season. It's understandable in a way, because New Orleans did finish last in their division this past season. Their roster next season, on paper, is also looking to be worse than last season's. It's important to note that it is way too early to tell what the final 53-man roster will look like, but with the players on the roster right now, that's the unfortunate case.
The Saints are expected to face an uphill battle in 2026
Heading into 2026, the Saints are expected to face an uphill battle. However, they should be well equipped for the hard journey. They have a young quarterback, a star wide receiver, a star running back, a top 10 draft pick, and some money to spend (for once!) in the offseason. All of that are ingredients to the recipe of success.
That young QB, Tyler Shough, has shown that he fights to improve, saying that he'll exhale when he's dead. "You have to get 1% better every single day. That wasn't a good season... but we did some really good things down the stretch. I think we have the standard of what we can set forward; we can do that (exhale) when we're dead. We have to keep going," he said in an interview with John DeShazier. "I think that's everybody's mindset.
Continuing on, Shough said that everyone on the team can feel that same sense of urgency. "...We feel what we're capable of. Now we have to go out there and do it."
That fight, that need to improve, is something that can only benefit the Saints. If Shough wasn't satisfied with his record-breaking season last year, it's exciting to think about what a satisfying season for him entails. Maybe next season, the Who Dat Nation will get a chance to see what that means.