The New Orleans Saints have a chance to surprise the NFL in 2026.
While they aren’t the favorite to win the NFC South Division, they’re a popular thought for those considering sleeper teams to make some noise.
And if the Saints make noise, of course, it’s bad news for the rest of a division that includes the Carolina Panthers, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Atlanta Falcons.
A new article from The Sporting News praises the Saints chances — they’re named one of the teams most likely to go from missing the playoffs in 2025 to making it in 2026.
“The Saints are a trendy pick to take advantage of a weak NFC South and win the division for the first time since Sean Payton and Drew Brees led the charge,” SN’s Daniel Chavkin writes in that aforementioned article. “Kellen Moore did a nice job in year one, winning six games including four straight in December despite entering the year with one of the weakest rosters in the league.”
Why Saints Can Win NFC South Division
The Saints have an on-the-rise quarterback in Tyler Shough, which is where all discussions like this tend to start.
There were plenty of doubters about Shough coming out of college in 2025, when he was a second-round pick. He was the oldest QB in his draft class, and that’s not always a good sign. But Shough played well enough as a rookie to earn some more believers.
The Saints also have tons of talent all around the field.
Chris Olave is a high-end wide receiver. Travis Etienne was a major signing to give the Saints a strong running back. Chase Young is a huge bargain at his defensive end spot.
The Saints have the pieces to surprise some folks this season.
“Of course, it would take a major step forward for the Saints to make the playoffs, even if eight or nine wins is enough to win the NFC South,” Chavkin writes. “But with the rest of the division in flux, and the benefit of a last-place schedule, Tyler Shough’s performance could decide whether New Orleans is the surprise team this year.”
As Chavkin writes, the Saints playing other last-place teams thanks to their standings finish a season ago can only help, too.
What About the Rest of the NFC South?
The Bucs still seem to be the biggest threat to win the division, despite the Panthers claiming the crown in 2025.
Baker Mayfield remains the top QB in the division, which has to count for something.
Carolina did see improvements from Bryce Young a season ago, and they’ve got a lot of young talent, so it makes sense that they’d be in the mix.
Atlanta is the biggest wild card. New coach Kevin Stefanski is choosing his QB between Tua Tagovailoa and Michael Penix. It’s tough to beat the talented trio of Bijan Robinson, Drake London and Kyle Pitts, though.
The Saints’ defense, led by the return of captain Cameron Jordan, will have some work to do to be in contention.
Saints Season Prediction Is Bad News For Panthers, Buccaneers, Falcons