You don’t have to see many primetime games on the 2026 schedule to have more than the New Orleans Saints had last year. They didn’t play a single primetime game in 2025, but that should all change when the schedule is released on Thursday. It’s all because of the impact Tyler Shough made.
It wasn't just the absence of primetime games. The Saints played a nearly exclusively noon schedule. There's no bigger indication than you not being a national draw than consistently playing at noon. The league didn't think enough of the Saints to put them in any prominent windows.
Shough’s impact could give the Saints multiple primetime games. There's still a lot of work to do because New Orleans becomes one of the most in demand teams, but seeing two or three primetime games isn't a far fetched idea.
Tyler Shough will make the Saints a national draw
It’s had to blame the schedule makers for casting the Saints to the side. There were zero expectations for the team last year, and the quarterback situation appeared questionable at best. Back in the day, the league would have thrown the Saints a Thursday Night Football matchup and called it a day. It’s no longer mandatory for the league to give a team any primetime matchups. A change the league took full advantage of last year.Â
As it turned out, the Saints have a quarterback in the building. Shough showed it in the back half of last season, and the football world recognized it. The Saints went from dead in the water to an exciting young team.
The offseason has stoked the flames around the fan base, but fans are noticing on a national scale as well. The excitement around the team is real, and football fans will want to see if Shough can build on a strong rookie campaign. First round pick Jordyn Tyson has star written all over him as well.
One option for a primetime matchup is a home game versus the Falcons. That’s a game that typically draws more of a national appeal. This year would be the 20 year anniversary of the Saints reopening the Superdome. It won’t be exactly on September 25, because it falls on a Friday. However, the NFL could still schedule it for Week 3 like it was 20 years ago. It was on Monday night in 2006, so having it be a Monday Night Football matchup this season would be thematic.
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