For the first time since 2021, the New Orleans Saints and New York Jets will square off when they meet at the Caesars Superdome in Week 16 of the 2025 NFL Regular Season. The game will also mark the first time New York has traveled to New Orleans since 2017.
The Saints-Jets matchup is one that has been pretty evenly matched over its 14 all-time meetings. New Orleans currently has an edge leading New York, eight wins to six. However, the Jets have fallen in four of six games since the beginning of the 21st century. New Orleans has won the previous two meetings including the most recent, a 30-9 thumping inside MetLife Stadium.
This year’s contest should be exciting regardless of the teams’ records at the time. The Jets and Saints both finished the 2024 campaign with a dismal 5-12 record, finishing in third and fourth places of their respective divisions. Each group underwent overhauls of rosters and staff in search of an improvement on last year’s results meaning some familiar faces are coming to town.
In January, the New York Jets hired former Detroit Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn to be their new Head Coach. Prior to working under Dan Campbell in the motor city, Glenn spent time with the Saints as both a player and coach. He signed with New Orleans as a free agent cornerback for one season in 2008 before retiring from the league in 2010. Glenn was hired as a member of the Saints staff as the Defensive Backs coach where he remained from 2016-2020.
In addition to Glenn, former New Orleans Saints safety Chris Banjo now finds himself to be a member of the Jets staff as Special Teams Coordinator. Banjo played under Glenn in New Orleans from 2016-18 before leaving to finish his career with the Arizona Cardinals. Following his retirement, Banjo served a two-year stint as an assistant special teams coach under his former head coach Sean Payton whom Denver had just hired in 2023 for the same positional opening.
New York is not the only group with coaching changes. New Orleans hired Kellen Moore to be their new head coach this offseason. It is Moore’s first head coaching opportunity in the NFL after moving through the ranks. He previously served gigs with the Dallas Cowboys, Los Angeles Chargers, and most recently won Super Bowl LIX with the Philadelphia Eagles.
Both teams are going through interesting changes at quarterback as well. Justin Fields signed with the Jets in March as a free agent QB, leaving behind Pittsburgh where he played the 2024 season. Taking his spot in the Steel City? Aaron Rodgers, who Glenn and the Jets released during the same month.
While the Jets appear to have their QB1 sorted out, the Saints situation is still very much in limbo. Projected starting QB Derek Carr shocked fans everywhere when he announced his retirement from the league just last month. The move came after the NFL Draft in April when the Saints selected Louisville prospect Tyler Shough. Although Carr was dealing with injuries and recovery from last season, he made the decision to retire, ultimately saving New Orleans an approximate $30 million against the cap following a restructure on his contract.
With a current room of Shough, Spencer Rattler, Jake Haener, and Hunter Dekkers, many fans and members of the coaching staff have reiterated the interest peak in a true quarterback battle this year. Although Rattler and Haener have minimal playing experience, neither have managed an NFL win in a game they started.
For New York, their draft came from the offensive side of the football for three of their first four picks. Most notably, they selected tight end Mason Taylor out of LSU in the second round. Taylor’s father, Jason, is a Hall of Fame defensive end that also spent time with the Jets. Glenn and company are hoping to provide more weapons to Fields to coincide with stars Breece Hall and Garrett Wilson.
Obviously, a lot will change from now to then as we go the course of this regular season, but this seems like one to keep an eye out for late in the year. If both teams can stay healthy while getting close to the relative production they’re slated for, this cross-conference matchup will provide fans with some riveting storylines and football.