The 2024 NFL season was a disappointing one for the New Orleans Saints, as they finished with a 5-12 record. The first two games of the year, on the other hand, were amazing. The Saints blew out the Carolina Panthers and the Dallas Cowboys. This stretch was followed by a seven-game losing streak that typified the remainder of the season.
The 2024 Saints had some respectable losses, including a 1-point loss to the Washington Commanders and a 3-point loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, the two teams that appeared in the National Football Conference championship game. That said, Saints fans should hope for a significantly more successful 2025 NFL season.
In football, the player who has the most impact on their team’s success is the starting quarterback. Last season’s starting quarterback, Derek Carr, retired after suffering a torn labrum, shocking the football world this offseason. The top two contenders to take his place this season were rookie Tyler Shough and Spencer Rattler. On Aug. 26, first-year head coach Kellen Moore named Rattler the starting quarterback after a long battle in training camp.
Rattler was selected in the fifth round of the 2024 NFL draft, which makes this his second season. Last year, he played in seven games, threw for 1,317 yards and completed 57% of his passes. Rattler, who is only 24 years old, has all of the physical abilities to become a successful NFL quarterback, which makes this year the time to prove himself.
For other positions, the Saints have some talented players. While injuries and getting older will likely limit some of these players’ level of performance, they are still capable of making the Saints a better team. Such offensive players include former all-pro running back Alvin Kamara and wide receiver Chris Olave. On defense, Chase Young and Cameron Jordan stand out as phenomenal athletes.
Kamara just turned 30 years old and has been both a rushing and receiving threat since 2017. He rushed for 950 yards last season. In his rookie season, he had 826 receiving yards while also winning the AP Offensive Rookie of the Year. Kamara’s dual-threat ability as a rusher and receiver has been a major source of stability for the Saints in recent years. The hope is that he maintains that level of performance in what will be his ninth professional season.
Olave is a tremendous wide receiver when healthy. He had 1,042 receiving yards in 2022, and in 2023, he racked up 1,123 receiving yards. However, Olave’s playing career has been harmed by a history of concussions. This year is an opportunity for him to get more than 1,000 receiving yards for the third time in his career, if he can stay on the field.
Young was the second overall pick in the 2020 NFL draft by Washington. Drafted only after star quarterback Joe Burrow, expectations for Young were extremely high. He proved himself by winning the AP Defensive Rookie of the Year. Going into the 2025 season with five years of experience, Young could be a huge threat to opposing offensive lines.
Jordan will be the defensive end opposite of Young. He has played for the Saints since 2011, where he has appeared in the Pro Bowl eight times between 2013-2023. This helped him to become a member of the NFL 2010s All-Decade Team. After so many successful years in New Orleans, Jordan has turned into a legendary Saints player. Although he is getting older, he can still disrupt offenses.
The Saints will host the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday, Sept. 7, at 12 p.m.