The Saints’ first preseason game will look less like a dress rehearsal and more like a job interview.
When New Orleans hosts the Jacksonville Jaguars on Saturday at 3 p.m. at the Caesars Superdome, coach Kellen Moore expects most of his starters to stay on the sideline. The plan, he said Wednesday, is for the first-team group to get its real work in Thursday during a joint practice with Jacksonville in Metairie.
That means the preseason opener should belong to the players trying to climb the depth chart.
At quarterback, that starts with the battle behind Tyler Shough. Shough is entering his second NFL season as the Saints’ established starter after taking over in the second half of 2025 and starting the final nine games. If he sits as expected, the game could offer the clearest look yet at the competition between Spencer Rattler and veteran Zach Wilson for the backup role.
The Saints made that matchup part of the plan when Wilson signed in March, saying then that he would compete with Rattler for the No. 2 spot. So far in camp, Rattler has mostly worked with the second-team offense, while Wilson has taken third-team snaps.
Both have had uneven stretches, and the defense has had the upper hand at times in recent practices. On Tuesday, Rattler went 7 of 9 with an interception in team work, while Wilson finished 9 of 15 without a turnover.
There’s plenty to sort out at receiver, too.
Behind Chris Olave, Jordyn Tyson and Devaughn Vele, the Saints have a cluster of young pass-catchers fighting for meaningful snaps. Barion Brown, Kevin Austin Jr. and rookie Bryce Lance are all in that mix. Brown has turned in multiple big plays during camp, and Lance has already shown both sides of the rookie learning curve: he caught a touchdown from Rattler in practice after earlier having a pass broken up by Isaac Yiadom.
With the veterans likely watching, Saturday should give that group more chances to flash.
The offensive line is another area the Saints want to evaluate closely. Moore has been mixing and matching behind the projected starters, including giving Cesar Ruiz work at center behind Erik McCoy. That experimentation comes with a clear backdrop: New Orleans ranked 28th in the NFL last season in rushing at 94.3 yards per game and averaged 3.7 yards per carry.
The live reps against Jacksonville should tell the staff more about how the reserve line holds up in protection and whether it can open anything on the ground for the backs lower on the depth chart.
The Jaguars are taking a similar path. Liam Coen is also expected to hold out most veterans and starters after the joint practice, which only sharpens the evaluation element of the game.
For Moore and the Saints, the scoreboard is the least interesting part.
Saturday is the first of three preseason games before New Orleans opens the regular season Sept. 13 at Detroit. The Saints then visit the Los Angeles Rams on Aug. 22 and close the preseason Aug. 28 at Dallas.
Kickoff against Jacksonville is set for 3 p.m. CT Saturday, Aug. 15, at the Caesars Superdome.
In Other News...
Saints Fans Have A New Reason To Worry About Jordyn Tyson
Jordyn Tysons first summer with the Saints has already had enough stop-and-start moments to keep the attention on him, and Wednesday added another one. The first-round wide receiver was working at practice on Aug. 13 before leaving early with trainers because of a hamstring issue, a frustrating development for a player trying to build momentum in camp after dealing with injuries earlier in the offseason.
The encouraging part is that the injury is not considered serious, but it still lands at an inconvenient time with the Saints first preseason game coming Aug. 15. Tysons availability for that opener is now uncertain, which is enough to make this a storyline worth watching closely even if the long-term outlook remains relatively calm. [Read more 🡒]
Travis Etienne Jr.s First Saints Action Carries A Painful Superdome Twist
Travis Etienne Jr. is in line for his first live game action in a Saints uniform when New Orleans opens the preseason against Jacksonville at the Caesars Superdome. The running back, who signed a four-year deal with the Saints during the offseason, has a chance to get his debut against the same team he spent his first four NFL seasons with, even as New Orleans is expected to keep its starters on a short leash.
There is also a strange bit of history attached to the setting. Etiennes last preseason trip to the Superdome came in 2021, when a Lisfranc injury in that game wiped out his entire rookie season, making this return feel like more than a routine exhibition stop. For a player trying to settle into a new offense and a new chapter, the building itself carries a memory that will hang over whatever workload he gets. [Read more 🡒]
Saints Receiver Battle Is Suddenly Turning Up The Pressure
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Brown has already begun separating himself from the pack in camp, which only adds more pressure to the players behind him trying to keep pace. Mason Tiptons situation adds another wrinkle to the mix as he works his way back from tibia surgery, leaving his path uncertain enough that the Saints may have to decide whether he fits better on an injured list designation or somewhere even farther down the depth chart. [Read more 🡒]