The Saints’ players will get most of the attention once training camp opens, but the coaching staff deserves its own spotlight. That group is the glue, and for New Orleans, the biggest questions start with Kellen Moore and the coordinators.
For Moore, this is a crucial year. His first season in New Orleans was uneven, especially early on when Spencer Rattler was at quarterback. The offense never really settled in that stretch, Moore didn’t have full trust in Rattler, and his situational calls were shaky at times.
The encouraging part is that Moore did grow as the season went on. Once Tyler Shough took over at quarterback, the trust was obvious and the playcalling picked up noticeably.
Even so, the late-game decision-making still left something to be desired. That’s the area that has to tighten up, because close games can turn fast when those moments go sideways.
Brandon Staley, though, might have been the staff’s biggest success story. His first year in New Orleans was strong, and while the defense wasn’t flawless on paper or on the field, it consistently played at a high level. In 2025, that unit was the team’s strength.
The question now is whether Staley can do it again in 2026. The Saints lost some players in free agency and added others, leaving them in a similar spot to last season.
With the investments made on offense, that side of the ball may end up carrying more of the load, but Staley still has a chance to squeeze even more out of this defense. If he does, it could push him toward an head coaching job sooner rather than later.
Doug Nussmeier’s role is tied closely to Moore’s. As offensive coordinator, he’s part of the same mission: help the offense function better in the biggest spots. He also has a chance to be a major part of Shough’s continued development, and if Shough keeps progressing, plenty of credit will go to an offensive staff built to develop QBs.
Phil Galiano enters the year with the most pressure of the group. Special teams was a problem last season, and a lot of that blame landed on him.
Decisions like not moving on from Blake Grupe faster and cutting Rico Payton before the season drew questions, but the issues went beyond one or two calls. The whole unit was a mess, and the personnel simply wasn’t strong enough.
That won’t be the case in 2026, which is why Galiano feels like the coach most clearly on the hot seat. If the special teams unit still has problems this time around, especially with better talent in place, the patience may run out quickly.
In Other News...
Saints Suddenly Face A Taysom Hill Problem They Cant Ignore
The Saints spent the offseason reshaping the edges of their roster, keeping familiar veterans like Alvin Kamara and Cam Jordan while moving on from others such as Alontae Taylor and Demario Davis. In that mix, Taysom Hills absence stands out for more than just his unique role. New Orleans no longer has to build game plans around finding him a place in the offense, which changes how situational snaps can be distributed and gives the staff a little more clarity in how it wants to use each spot.
Juwan Johnson may be the most obvious candidate to absorb some of the leadership work Hill left behind in the tight end room, but the ripple effect goes beyond one position. Young players like Oscar Delp now have one less veteran presence to lean on as they learn the details of the offense, and that kind of transition can matter as much as any personnel move on paper. For a team trying to tighten its identity, the question is not just how it replaces Hills production, but how it replaces the voice and versatility that came with him. [Read more 🡒]
Saints Fans Have Every Right To Ask If This Hype Is Real
The Saints are opening 2026 camp with a different kind of buzz around them, the sort that tends to follow a team only after it has spent a little time proving it can be more than talk. Tyler Shough enters his second season with real momentum after flashing late in his rookie year, and New Orleans has tried to support that growth with a busier offseason, adding Travis Etienne and David Edwards while continuing to shape the roster around a young quarterback and a more settled coaching staff.
Kellen Moore, now more comfortable in his role, has also started to put his stamp on the program in ways that go beyond the depth chart, building a culture that players can buy into. The question for Saints fans is whether all of that adds up to something meaningful or just another summer of optimism, especially for a franchise still trying to climb out of a long playoff drought and convince people this version is different. [Read more 🡒]
Saints Offseason Hope Just Ran Into A Brutal 2026 Reality Check
The Saints have spent the offseason trying to build a sturdier foundation up front, and there are at least reasons to feel better about the left side of the line with Kelvin Banks Jr. and David Edwards in place. Still, Bleacher Reports Brad Gagnon only offered moderate confidence that New Orleans will clear 7.5 wins in 2026, which says plenty about how much work remains before the roster feels truly settled.
The concern starts with the rest of the blocking unit, where Cesar Ruiz still has to prove he can hold up his end and Taliese Fuagas injury history hangs over the group. Even after the additions, the Saints are still being viewed through the lens of whether the line can actually support a meaningful step forward, and thats the kind of uncertainty that can shape an entire season before it even begins. [Read more 🡒]