Nov 3, 2024; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Carolina Panthers running back Chuba Hubbard (30) scores a touchdown as New Orleans Saints safety Tyrann Mathieu (32) defends in the fourth qarter at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

CBS says Panthers' division rival had the worst offseason of any NFL team

Originally posted on Carolina Panthers on SI
By Russell Baxter | Last updated Jun 9, 2025 10:30 AM ET

It was another rough year for the NFC South. Since 2022, the division has produced just two winning campaigns. That would be the division champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2023 (9-8) and 2024 (10-7). The New Orleans Saints have posted three straight losing campaigns. Both the Atlanta Falcons and Carolina Panthers haven’t finished above .500 since 2017.

Recently, Jordan Dajani of CBS Sports pointed to the five teams that have suffered through the worst offseason in 2025. At the top of his dubious list was the Panthers’ division rival from the Big Easy.

“The Saints are seemingly never big players in free agency because of their cap situation,” said Dajani, “but they added a couple of notable pieces such as former Chiefs safety Justin Reid and a 31-year-old Brandin Cooks. New Orleans also lost some notable pieces such as cornerback Paulson Adebo and safety Will Harris, but without a doubt the headline of the Saints' offseason was the retirement of quarterback Derek Carr.

“It turns out that his right shoulder injury, which popped up out of nowhere, was serious. The Saints described it as a labral tear accompanied by significant degenerative changes to his rotator cuff, so New Orleans loses its QB1 without much warning…”

The Saints have a new head coach in Kellen Moore. They also have a new quarterback prospect as well. “To replace Carr,” added Dajani, “New Orleans selected former Oregon, Texas Tech and Louisville quarterback Tyler Shough with the No. 40 overall pick. It appears there was considerable love for Shough behind the scenes, with one anonymous NFL coach even saying he believed Shough was the top quarterback in this class. Yes, even better than No. 1 overall pick Cam Ward.

“Shough possesses legitimate arm talent and is uber competitive, but he will turn 26 years old early in his rookie season, and has dealt with numerous serious injuries such as a broken collarbone and broken fibula. Is he really the answer for New Orleans?”

Moore inherits a team that lost its last four games in 2024, and dropped 12 of its final 15 contests after a strong 2-0 start. On the other hand, the Panthers appear to be headed in a positive direction. For the record, the first meeting this season between these teams that both finished 5-12 this past season takes place in Week 10 at Carolina.

This article first appeared on Carolina Panthers on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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