The Saints opened their 60th season with a preseason game that mattered less for the 24-20 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars than for everything wrapped around it. Saturday at the Caesars Superdome felt different.
The sideline looked different. The stands sounded different.
And for a team trying to turn the page, that was the point.
New Orleans came up one play and 2 yards short on a late comeback attempt, but the final result barely dented the energy around the club. Coach Kellen Moore liked the way his group handled the moment.
“It was the first game for a lot of our younger players, and our message before the game was, ‘Go for it,’ ” coach Kellen Moore said. “It was a fun game.
We started off fast, and we had an opportunity at the end. I love the way our guys competed.
A really good battle for our guys.”
The newness showed up before the first snap. Tyler Shough led the Saints’ pregame huddle, a clear sign of his standing in his second season. The team also rolled out a new hype video, a discounted concession menu and a cheer crew with fresh faces.
On the field, the Saints leaned into the same theme by sitting most of their regulars and giving their backups a long look.
Ty Chandler wasted no time making the most of it, ripping off an 86-yard return on the opening kickoff. A few seconds later, Audric Estime turned the corner for a 9-yard touchdown run, and “Stand Up and Get Crunk” shook the Superdome.
There was plenty more to like from the Saints’ new group, especially at quarterback. Zach Wilson made a strong case in the backup battle, carving up Jacksonville’s reserve defense to the tune of 11 completions on 16 attempts for 145 yards and a touchdown, good for a 118.0 passer rating.
Spencer Rattler, by contrast, had a quieter night. He finished 8 of 11 for 42 yards and lost a costly fumble deep in his own territory.
Saturday also gave New Orleans its first real look at the 2026 draft class, aside from Jordyn Tyson, and the early returns were encouraging.
Christen Miller, the rookie defensive tackle taken in the second round, showed the run-stopping presence that helped get him drafted. He finished with four tackles in about a half of action.
Jeremiah Wright, the massive right guard, flashed early before fading as the game wore on. Tanner Brown added two field goals, including a 49-yarder, to show off his strong leg.
Other names popped too. Jayden Price came up with a sharp read and interception of Carter Bradley in the second quarter. And undrafted edge rusher Michael Heldman turned the second half into his own showcase, piling up six tackles with team-highs of three tackles for loss and two sacks.
“We started fast, and that’s been a point of emphasis this offseason,” Moore said. “We have to learn the sustaining part of this thing, but I was really proud of the way our guys competed tonight.”
That fast start fit the larger mood around the Saints all offseason. Everything has felt altered - the voices, the faces, the energy. With Demario Davis and Taysom Hill gone, and Cam Jordan and Alvin Kamara in reduced roles, a new set of leaders has moved to the front.
Shough, Chase Young, Kaden Elliss, Kool-Aid McKinstry, Travis Etienne and David Edwards are now among the players expected to steer the group, alongside holdovers Erik McCoy, Chris Olave, Zach Wood and Justin Reid.
It looks and feels like a different team. Whether it plays like one in a better way will be answered when the regular season arrives.
In Other News...
Saints Preseason Just Made Several Roster Battles Feel A Lot More Tense
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Quarterback, running back and wide receiver are all still live questions, too, which makes every preseason rep feel a little heavier than usual. Kellen Moore has seen enough across camp to know these decisions will not be made on one snap or one night, but the Saints are at the point where performances are starting to separate, and the tension around those jobs only grows when one player keeps missing chances and another keeps taking advantage. [Read more 🡒]
Saints Running Back Depth Just Forced A Tough New Decision
The Saints running back room was already thin before the latest preseason setback, and now it has become a real roster problem. Audric Estime went down during a preseason game, adding to the injuries already affecting Kendre Miller and Devin Neal, and the team is suddenly staring at a depth chart with very little margin for error behind the top options.
With CJ Donaldson and Ty Chandler the only remaining backups, New Orleans may have little choice but to look outside the building before the regular season starts. How the Saints answer that need will be one of the more important roster questions in the final stretch of camp, because a position that once looked crowded has quickly turned into one of the teams most vulnerable spots. [Read more 🡒]
Kellen Moores Saints Plan Says A Lot About Two Young Pieces
After a joint practice with the Jaguars, the Saints took a cautious route in their first preseason game and kept several starters on the sideline, a reminder that August is as much about evaluation as it is about preserving the depth chart. Among the players left out was linebacker Danny Stutsman, who has already carved out a defined role in the defense, while Vernon Broughton also sat despite being in line for more snaps because of an injury elsewhere on the roster.
Bryce Lance was part of that same conservative approach, with the rookie held out for now after a minor injury, though the expectation is that he will get his preseason work in later on. For a team trying to sort through young pieces without exposing them too soon, the decisions around Stutsman, Lance and Broughton say plenty about how the staff views their place in the bigger picture, even if the final answers are still coming. [Read more 🡒]