NFL News

Home

Teams

Quizzes

Watch

Newsletter

Power Rankings

Jan 4, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers running back Kenneth Gainwell (14) rushes the ball against Baltimore Ravens safety Alohi Gilman (12) during the first half at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Barry Reeger-Imagn Images Barry Reeger-Imagn Images

Steelers Breakout Puts Rising Running Back on Saints’ Radar

Originally posted on New Orleans Saints on SI
By Patrick McAvoy | Last updated Feb 17, 2026 8:40 AM ET

The New Orleans Saints are in a better salary cap position than they have been in years and tangible excitement heading into the 2026 season. It should be a fun offseason for the franchise.

When the Saints have a chance to win, general manager Mickey Loomis has shown over the years that he's not afraid to get aggressive. Last offseason, the Saints were coming off a 5-12 season without a long-term vision at quarterback and in a significantly worse place from a cap perspective. While this is the case, the Saints moved around some money and were able to retain Chase Young and Juwan Johnson while also signing Justin Reid and Julian Blackmon, among others. Imagine what they're going to do this offseason after Tyler Shough and the team gave the fanbase a reason for hope in the second half of the season?

If you like our content, choose Sports Illustrated as a preferred source on Google.

It could be an explosive offseason. It is very early, though. On Tuesday, ESPN's Matt Bowen shared a column in which he pinpointed one team that would be the best fit for each of the top-50 pending free agents. New Orleans didn't pop up much on the list, but was linked to Pittsburgh Steelers running back Kenneth Gainwell.

The Saints need to take a look at the RB room

"Our suggested fits are mainly focused on team needs, scheme and potential future production, though we also factored each franchise's salary cap situation," Bowen wrote. "But remember that every team's cap room will shift up and down before free agency as front offices restructure, cut and re-sign contracts. (For some of these fits to work, teams might have to get creative.) OK, let's pick ideal team fits for this offseason's best free agents. ...

"No. 49. Kenneth Gainwell, RB. Best team fit: New Orleans Saints. Given the uncertainty of running back Alvin Kamara's future in New Orleans, the team could bring in Gainwell. In coach Kellen Moore's offense, Gainwell can be a change-of-pace runner, and he has the receiving traits to create numbers as an outlet for quarterback Tyler Shough. Gainwell caught a career-high 73 passes last season and was vital on third downs for Pittsburgh."

The Saints do need to think about the running back position this offseason. Alvin Kamara is starting to get up there. More importantly, he has missed a lot of time due to injuries. When he's on the field, he can still deliver. But he only played in 11 games in 2025.

Gainwell played in Kellen Moore's offense as a member of the Philadelphia Eagles in 2024. They won a Super Bowl together. He went to Pittsburgh in 2025 and had the best season of his career with 537 rushing yards, five touchdowns, 73 catches, 486 receiving yards and three receiving touchdowns. Before the 2025 season, Gainwell's most rushing yards in a season were 364. His most catches in a season were 33, 40 fewer than his 2025 total of 73. His highest receiving yard total was 253. So, to sum up his season in Pittsburgh, it was unexpected.

That type of production would go a long way in New Orleans. Arguably, the Saints should be aiming higher, like Jeremiyah Love in the 2026 NFL Draft, but Gainwell would be a positive pickup as well.

More NFL: Top Saints Cut Candidate Is Someone Almost No One's Talking About

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

More must-reads: