Saints emerge as a sleeper, with Tyler Shough's rise fueling optimism

The New Orleans Saints have quietly become one of the more intriguing teams in the NFC, and there's a real case that they could go from the bottom of the division to the top in 2026. A late-season rise from quarterback Tyler Shough inspired an offseason of optimism in the Big Easy, and the Saints added the kind of talent that could make them a genuine sleeper in a wide-open NFC South.

The Shough factor

Shough's emergence late in the 2025 campaign was the spark. His play offered the first clear glimpse of the franchise's larger vision under head coach Kellen Moore, and it turned what could have been another rebuilding year into a season of real hope. A young quarterback playing well changes everything about a team's trajectory, and New Orleans is betting Shough's rise was the beginning of something.

Adding weapons

The Saints supported their ascending quarterback aggressively. They used a first-round pick on dynamic wide receiver Jordyn Tyson, immediately upgrading the passing game's talent, and added running back Travis Etienne in free agency to bolster the backfield. Those are the kinds of moves a team makes when it believes its quarterback is ready to take a step — surrounding him with playmakers to accelerate the timeline.

A team on the rise

New Orleans made its biggest structural changes the previous offseason, bringing in Moore to lead a new era, and 2026 is about building on that foundation. With Shough trending up and fresh weapons in the fold, the Saints have the profile of a team ready to surprise, especially in a division where no one has separated themselves.

Season outlook

The Saints enter 2026 as a legitimate sleeper in a wide-open NFC South, where the right combination of moves could put any of the four teams over the top. If Shough builds on his late-2025 form and the new weapons deliver, New Orleans could be the team that goes worst-to-first. The pieces are aligning — a rising quarterback, new playmakers, and a clear vision under Moore. In a division there for the taking, the Saints have positioned themselves to make a run.