When the New England Patriots handed the reins to Mike Vrabel last spring, they weren’t just hiring a head coach-they were rebooting a franchise that had lost its way. Just eight wins over their previous 34 games painted a pretty bleak picture, but the foundation for a turnaround was quietly in place: a young quarterback with promise and a clean salary cap slate.
Fast forward to today, and the Patriots are headed to Super Bowl LX to face the Seattle Seahawks. That’s not just a bounce-back-it’s a statement.
Now, shift the focus to New Orleans, where the Saints are hoping to follow a similar blueprint. They’ve got their quarterback in Tyler Shough, and while they’re not completely out of the salary cap woods just yet, the light at the end of the tunnel is finally visible.
If things break right, 2026 could be the year they leave the “cap hell” narrative behind for good. Head coach Kellen Moore enters Year 2 with a clearer picture of what this team can be-and there were plenty of signs in his debut season that he knows how to steer this ship in the right direction.
Let’s start with the most critical piece of any rebuild: the quarterback.
Shough may have only started nine games in his rookie campaign, but what he showed in that stretch was enough to remove any doubt about who’s under center moving forward. The Saints can head into the offseason with confidence-and a Sharpie-when penciling in Shough as their starter for 2026.
It’s a familiar story in some ways. Just like the Patriots post-Brady, the Saints spent years searching for a successor to Drew Brees.
And now, both franchises believe they’ve found their guy. The Patriots grabbed Drake Maye with the No. 3 pick in 2024.
The Saints found Shough in the second round a year later. Different paths, but potentially similar destinations.
Of course, there are differences between the two young quarterbacks. Maye entered the league with more fanfare, and at just 23 years old, he’s already a finalist for both MVP and Offensive Player of the Year. Shough, at 26, might not have the same ceiling-or the same spotlight-but in terms of rookie-year production, he held his own.
In fact, Shough edged Maye in several key categories. He posted a higher completion percentage (67.6% to 66.6%), threw for more yards (2,384 to 2,276), and finished with a better passer rating (91.3 to 88.1). Maye had the edge in touchdowns (15 to 10) and played in more games (13 to 9), but the numbers suggest Shough belongs in the conversation.
And here’s the kicker: Shough won’t count more than $3.5 million against the cap in any of the next three seasons. That’s a dream scenario for a team trying to build a competitive roster without financial flexibility. It gives the Saints a rare opportunity-maximize the rookie quarterback window and build a contender around him.
That’s exactly what New England did last offseason. Once they knew they had their quarterback, they went all-in on building the right offensive infrastructure.
The Saints don’t need to start from scratch. They’ve already got a creative play-caller in Moore, two promising young tackles in Kelvin Banks and Taliese Fuaga, and reliable pass-catchers like Chris Olave and Juwan Johnson.
But the Patriots showed what’s possible when you commit to the process. They brought in Josh McDaniels to run the offense and used all four of their top-100 draft picks on offensive players-protecting Maye with new starters at left tackle (Will Campbell) and left guard (Jared Wilson), and giving him weapons in TreVeyon Henderson and Kyle Williams.
They didn’t stop there. With over $100 million in cap space, New England went big in free agency.
They shelled out more than $200 million to land impact players like defensive tackle Milton Williams, wide receiver Stefon Diggs, and cornerback Carlton Davis. But it wasn’t just about the splashy signings-they nailed the mid-tier moves too.
Center Garrett Bradbury and tackle Morgan Moses were steady presences on the offensive line, each starting all 17 games. Mack Hollins became a key target in the passing game.
On defense, linebacker Robert Spillane led the team in tackles, and edge rusher K’Lavon Chaisson racked up 7.5 sacks on a one-year, $5 million deal. That’s the kind of value every team chases in free agency.
The Saints won’t have that kind of spending power this offseason, but the 2027 offseason could be a different story. If they continue to manage the cap wisely and keep developing their young talent, they could be in position to make serious moves a year from now.
For now, the goal is clear: do what New England did. Build around the quarterback.
Make smart draft picks. Hit on a few key free agents.
And trust the process.
Tyler Shough showed enough in Year 1 to believe he can be the guy. Kellen Moore showed he’s capable of leading a team forward. The Saints aren’t there yet-but if they stay the course, they might not be far behind.