Ouch. The New Orleans Saints found themselves in some uncomfortable company after the NFL announced the initial 2026 Pro Bowl Games roster— the Saints and New York Jets are the only teams to not have a single player on the list, not just this year, but in last year, too. That’s not to say they won’t have someone representing the black and gold when it’s all said and done. But it’s a lot less glamorous to get in as an alternate than to be named a starter.
It goes to show how poorly regarded the Saints’ roster has become in recent years. Losing so many games will do that, but so will missing on critical draft picks. New Orleans invested a ton of resources in guys like Payton Turner, Trevor Penning, and Isaiah Foskey, but they don’t have anything to show for it. That’s a shame.
But winning can turn that perception around. Rookie quarterback Tyler Shough is picking up new fans each week. The Saints have a couple of young studs with high-end potential like bookend tackles Taliese Fuaga and Kelvin Banks Jr., plus former first-round picks who are beginning to hit their stride like Chase Young and Chris Olave. A couple of strong draft classes supporting an exciting QB can totally reverse their fortunes. But for now, the Saints are underdogs. It’s on them to earn respect and postseason awards like Pro Bowl nods.