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The New Orleans Saints reached what most would call the franchise's peak during the Sean Payton era, winning the NFC South seven times and reaching the postseason nine times during his 15-year stint as head coach. But now, they've gone the past five seasons without accomplishing either of those milestones.
Last season was an improvement, as they won one more game under first-year head coach Kellen Moore than they did the year prior. And things really got rolling toward the end of the season, as the Saints picked up four wins in their final five outings. So what is the ceiling (and what is the floor) for New Orleans during the second year of the Moore experiment?
Ceiling: 10-7
The Saints closed last season on a hot streak with Tyler Shough stepping up at quarterback after Spencer Rattler was benched. They also went 3-6 in one-possession games, so there's clearly room for at least a couple more wins. If Shough takes that next step forward in his second NFL season and the offseason additions click immediately, the Saints could end their postseason drought.
Floor: 6-11
Call it naivete, but it's tough to see the Saints getting much worse this year. Even if the overall talent level doesn't improve, they were still unlucky in one-possession games and started the wrong quarterback for half the season before tossing a rookie into the fire. There's no reason to bet on the NFC South being much stronger this season, and getting back to six wins should be considered the baseline here.
This article originally appeared on Touchdown Wire: What is the ceiling (and floor) for the New Orleans Saints in 2026?
