Aug 17, 2025; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Saints quarterback Spencer Rattler (2) throws against the Jacksonville Jaguars during the second half at Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images

New Orleans Saints Fans Won't Love ESPN's 2025 Projection

Originally posted on New Orleans Saints on SI
By Patrick McAvoy | Last updated Aug 31, 2025 12:00 PM ET

The New Orleans Saints finished in last place in the NFC South last season with a 5-12 record.

New Orleans responded this offseason by hiring Kellen Moore to be the team's head coach and minimizing roster turnover. Heading into the offseason, it seemed like a full rebuild could be on the horizon. But, the Saints didn't fully go in that direction. There are pieces no longer with the franchise, like Derek Carr and Tyrann Mathieu who both retired. But, the Saints also went out and spent money guys like Justin Reid, Chase Young, Brandin Cooks, and Juwan Johnson among others.

The Saints have prepared for the 2025 season as if they are hoping to turn things around, rather than take a step backward. While this is the case, ESPN's Mike Clay doesn't seem to have high hopes for the franchise for the 2025 season. He shared a column of projections for the 2025 season and included in this was that he ranked the Saints as the worst team in the NFL.

Can the Saints outperform current expectations?

"No. 32. New Orleans Saints," Clay said. "Derek Carr's sudden retirement cemented this one, as Spencer Rattler and rookie Tyler Shough will have to step up at quarterback this season. If that's not enough, the cornerback group might be shakiest in the NFL, and there are age and/or injury concerns with RB Alvin Kamara, LB Demario Davis, edge Cameron Jordan, WR Chris Olave, and TE Taysom Hill."

New Orleans is hard to project. There's clearly talent here, like Clay noted. Not every team has guys like Kamara, Jordan, Davis, Olave, or Rashid Shaheed in town. There are young pieces to be excited about as well, like Kool-Aid McKinstry, Kelvin Banks Jr., and Taliese Fuaga among others.

This is a popular projection when it comes to the Saints. The buzz isn't overtly positive for New Orleans. But, that won't matter if things go well when the real games begin. The 2025 season is officially one week away from kicking off with the Saints welcoming the Arizona Cardinals to town.

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This article first appeared on New Orleans Saints on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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