Fans knew the New Orleans Saints’ 2025 season would be one of rebuilding. The team was coming off a 5–12 record in 2024. The roster was in turbulence, starting quarterback Derek Carr announced his retirement after the draft and finding key players to build a foundation was of utmost importance. With a new coaching staff, led by rookie head coach Kellen Moore, expectations were low. Then the season started.
Moore named Spencer Rattler the starting quarterback, with the expectation that he would find his footing in his third year in the NFL. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen. The Saints stumbled out of the gate winless in September. They picked up a win the first week of October, Rattler’s first as a pro, but lost the next three.
In Week 9, Moore named rookie Tyler Shough the Saints’ starting QB for the Nov. 2 road contest against the Los Angeles Rams. The Saints lost again, 34-10, and sat at 1-8, but the season took an unexpected turn.
Shough won his second game as a starting QB and breathed life into what had been an anemic offense for the previous few seasons. The team lost their next two and were eliminated from playoff contention for the fifth consecutive season after a Week 13 loss to the Dolphins but then rattled off a four-game win streak before falling in the final game of the season.
The Saints finished the 2025 season with a 6-11 record — a game better than their 5-12 record in 2024 – but their rookie starting quarterback posted a 5-4 record and gave hope for what’s to come.
Selected by the Saints with the 40th overall pick in the second round of the 2025 NFL draft, Shough became the face of the franchise by season’s end. He finished the season with a Quarterback Rating (QBR) of 91.3, completing 221 of 327 passes (67.6%) for 2,384 yards with 10 touchdowns and six interceptions. He also moved the ball when it mattered. He had a 66.7% third-down completion rate and 103.3 QBR. In the fourth quarter, he completed 62.8% of his passes, had an 87.7 QBR, and led three game-winning drives. He also rushed 45 times for 186 yards and three touchdowns. He set the team’s record for wins by a rookie quarterback and became the first rookie quarterback with 300-plus passing yards in a game in Week 16’s matchup against the New York Jets. He was voted 2025 Pepsi Zero Sugar NFL Rookie of the Year by fans nationwide.
Shough wasn’t the only rookie to shine. First-round draft pick (No. 9 overall) Kelvin Banks Jr. was a stud at left tackle, third-round defensive tackle Vernon Broughton played well, and linebacker Danny Stutsman, picked in the fourth round, showed promise as a future defensive star.
The Saints finished the season ranked 28th out of 32 teams in total offense, 28th in rushing offense, 13th in passing offense and 16th in scoring offense.
On the other side of the ball, the Black and Gold finished 16th in total defense, fourth in passing defense, 19th in rushing defense and 16th in scoring defense.
Entering the 2025 season, the offensive line, made up entirely of first- and second-round draft picks, was considered a potential bright spot for the team, but they allowed 49 sacks, resulting in a loss of 299 yards. While some of that can be explained by inconsistency on the line due to injury, the OL will have to improve its play in the trenches to see the Saints reach a higher potential.
As the Saints head into the offseason to prepare for 2026, there is hope that they can make a quick turnaround and become a playoff-caliber team once again. No team in their division, the NFC South, had a winning record in 2025. The Panthers, Buccaneers and Falcons all went 8-9, just two games better than the Saints overall, and all finished with a 3-3 record against divisional opponents. That means it won’t take a huge jump to get to the top of the division again.
As they prepare for the draft and free agency, the Saints are a little more than $6 million over the league-mandated salary cap, according to overthecap.com. Expect the team to revamp its roster. That may mean some fan favorites may have played their last game for New Orleans, but if the right players are brought in, winning will be the only thing that matters.
Chris Price is an award-winning journalist and public relations principal. When he’s not writing, he’s avid about music, the outdoors, and Saints, Ole Miss and Chelsea football.
