New England's Super Bowl run ignites hope. Could the Saints replicate that worst-to-first magic with a new quarterback and offensive spark in 2026?
The New England Patriots are in the Super Bowl after breaking out in the 2025 season with young quarterback Drake Maye. The breakout season has perhaps inspired teams who are in similar situations as the Pats were in last season.
An offseason ago, New England entered the year on the heels of a last place finish in the AFC East. A year later, the Patriots are on the verge of doing what division rival Buffalo and star quarterback Josh Allen have failed to do. New England is one win away from reaching a Super Bowl.
The Patriots' 2025 run has some wondering who could do similarly next year. And while few if any are tabbing the Saints as Super Bowl contenders for next season, some consider the team a candidate to go from last place to first place in their division.
Mark Schofield of "SB Nation" believes the Saints have a shot to win the NFC South next season. He explained why.
"In Kellen Moore, the Saints have a rising second-year coach, and one rooted on the offensive side of the football not Vrabel’s defensive background. ...
Still, there is one thing the current Saints and last year’s Patriots have in common.
The hope at quarterback.
Tyler Shough took over midway through the 2025 season from Spencer Rattler, and has shown more than enough to hold the job heading into next year. And with the Saints slipping down the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft order thanks to a strong finish to the season, they are out of the range of Fernando Mendoza anyway. That likely means rolling into 2026 with Shough and building around him in the draft, and with what they can accomplish in free agency."
New Orleans Saints wide receiver Ronnie Bell (85) celebrates with quarterback Tyler Shough (6) and wide receiver Kevin Austin Jr. (81) after a touchdown against the Atlanta Falcons in the fourth quarter at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Brett Davis-Imagn ImagesShough's breakout was among the biggest stories of the NFL season. Quickly we saw mock draft experts go from predicting a quarterback to the Saints to leaning toward New Orleans building around the quarterback they already have. 300-yard performances and four-game winning streaks tend to create that level of optimism.
The Saints are far from a finished product. There's work to be done in shoring up deficiencies, retaining the key players from last season that they can bring back and drafting immediate impact contributors. Still, there's a very real possibility the Saints can win a division in which the playoff representative won eight games in 2025.
The Saints will look to move closer to contention over the offseason.