Kellen Moore’s second season in New Orleans is shaping up to be the kind that defines where his Saints tenure goes next.
The attention around the 2026 Saints naturally starts with second-year quarterback Tyler Shough, but Moore deserves just as much of the spotlight. He’s heading into his second year as an NFL head coach, and even after a 6-11 finish in 2025, he’s already drawing praise. The late-season push helped, too: New Orleans closed 5-4, which has kept the fan base engaged and the conversation around the team very much alive.
Now comes the harder part. Moore has the quarterback he wants, at least for now, and the roster is beginning to reflect the vision he presented to the front office when he landed the job.
The Saints added Travis Etienne in free agency to give the offense a more explosive running game, then used a top-10 draft pick on a wide receiver to line up alongside Chris Olave. It’s the kind of setup that looks built for Moore’s offense.
But that kind of investment brings real pressure with it. New Orleans is expected to be better in 2026 than it has been in years, and if the results don’t match the spending, the questions will come fast.
If Shough struggles, he’ll be a 27-year-old second-year quarterback with limited runway left to grow. And the criticism won’t stop there - the Saints’ “all in” offensive approach will be part of the conversation, especially with the multiple big free-agent deals made under the assumption that Shough is the answer.
Moore also can’t count on being insulated if the defense slips. Even though he’s an offensive coach, a poor defensive season would still land on his doorstep.
In his second offseason, New Orleans leaned heavily into offense and added less than it lost in free agency. The Saints did bring in names like Kaden Ellis, but the bigger mission was clear: give the young quarterback help.
That means a strong offense might keep Moore out of the hot seat, but it won’t erase scrutiny if the defense can’t hold up at the level it showed in 2025.
Still, if Moore and the Saints put it together, the payoff would be huge. New Orleans has lived in the bottom half of the league since Brees’ departure, and the frustration has been building. Moore and Shough have helped bring back some of the spark that had faded, and in a city where football means everything, that matters.
The Saints aren’t being talked about as Super Bowl contenders in 2026, but they do have a real shot to be competitive again and chase the NFC South. For Moore, that’s the challenge - and the opportunity.
In Other News...
Saints Suddenly Face A Taysom Hill Problem They Cant Ignore
The Saints spent the offseason trimming and reshaping the roster around a few familiar pillars, keeping veterans like Alvin Kamara and Cam Jordan while also absorbing the departures of players such as Alontae Taylor and Demario Davis. In that context, Taysom Hills absence matters for more than just one spot on the depth chart. It changes how New Orleans can build the roster, how it can divide up roles on offense, and how much it has to account for a player who has long been used as a unique piece rather than a clean fit at one position.
It also leaves a quieter but real void in the tight end room, where Hills presence had given younger players a veteran reference point. For a rookie like Oscar Delp, that kind of guidance can matter as much as snaps, and Juwan Johnson could be asked to help fill it. The Saints are clearly moving forward with a different structure, but the question now is how smoothly that transition works when one of the teams most unusual and influential pieces is no longer part of the equation. [Read more 🡒]
Saints Quietly Let A Useful Lineman Slip Away
A former Saints center found a better opportunity in Carolina and made the most of it in 2025, stepping in when the Panthers lost their Pro Bowl center to injury. The move gave him a chance to play meaningful snaps, and he answered with steady work in both phases, drawing strong marks from Pro Football Focus for his pass protection and run blocking.
Now the Panthers have even more turnover at the position, which only sharpens the spotlight on what he can do next. With the depth chart thinned out in front of him, he is in line to push for the starting job and could end up giving Carolina a real upgrade in the middle, exactly the kind of quietly valuable development New Orleans will notice in hindsight. [Read more 🡒]
Saints Camp Opens With Pressure Building Around A Long Awaited Turnaround
The Saints are opening 2026 training camp with a different kind of buzz than theyve had in recent summers, and a lot of it traces back to the way they closed the 2025 season. Rookie quarterback Tyler Shough helped fuel that late surge, and now the team is banking on that momentum carrying into a camp that also features several notable additions, including running back Travis Etienne and guard David Edwards, as the roster begins to settle into a new look on offense and beyond.
There is still plenty to sort through before the Saints can call this a true turnaround, though. Injuries remain part of the backdrop, and the teams depth will be tested as camp unfolds, while changes on defense and special teams add another layer of uncertainty to the mix. For a franchise looking to turn a promising finish into something more lasting, the next few weeks should say a lot about how real this optimism actually is. [Read more 🡒]