The New Orleans Saints' 2025 season is now in the rearview mirror, with all eyes on the 2026 season, with the Saints' schedule being listed as the second easiest of next season. However, that's misleading.
Most of their AFC North opponents did have losing records this year, but they are still dangerous. For one, the Pittsburgh Steelers haven't had a losing season in 22 years and are sure to be on their game to make it 23 in 2026. Even the Cleveland Browns, who have been awful for as long as I can remember, could be a tough matchup. Their defense is one of the best in league, and there's no telling what Shedeur Sanders could do in year two.
Furthermore, the Baltimore Ravens are a total mystery card right now for the next season. With John Harbaugh on his way out, more of the coaching staff is expected to follow, and they're expected to now have an offense that will "invigorate" their two-time MVP Lamar Jackson. The Cincinatti Bengals have a top 10 pick, but still have a ton of firepower on the offense. If Joe Burrow is healthy, they'll also be a tough matchup.
The Saints can't dismiss their own conference or division, either.
It's important to remember that the AFC North takes up only about 24% of the Saints' schedule for next year. They still have to worry about the teams in their division, as well as the four teams in the NFC North.
Up north, the NFC is a very different picture than the AFC. The most glaring difference is the fact that they don't have one team but two in the playoffs this year (Chicago Bears, Green Bay Packers), but there's more to it than that, because the teams that remain (Detroit Lions, Minnesota Vikings) are not ones to be counted out. The Lions especially, because for as long as Dan Campbell has been their head coach, the phrase "give up" hasn't been in their vocabulary.
Moreover, in their first year under Ben Johnson, the Bears have set a new league record for most comeback wins in a season (with six). That's nothing to sneeze at. Then there's the packers, who secured a spot in the postseason through an unholy amount of season-ending injuries: five on the defense and four on offense. Additionally, Green Bay has a total of 15 players on the injured reserve.
The Saints' own division is also one of the most unpredictable in the league. Just look at how it finished this year: in a three-way tie decided by two teams that were already out of contention. That stuff doesn't happen anywhere else.
When you look further into the NFC South, the path doesn't get much clearer. The Carolina Panthers will be the reigning division champs for the first time in a decade, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers might actually be healthy, and the Atlanta Falcons, while they will be under a new head coach, still have Drake London, Bijan Robinson, and the dominant defensive corps.