A few weeks ago, it looked like the New Orleans Saints were en route to their worst season since 2005. As it stands, there’s a chance the Saints finish the first year of the Kellen Moore era with seven wins. The vibes around the team haven’t been this high since Jameis Winston started the year 5-2. Sean Payton was still the coach at that time.

There was a spike of hope when Derek Carr was signed, but that quickly dissipated. Even in that brief moment, there’s more hope and excitement around the team now. That’s because the excitement can be found in the youth, specifically Tyler Shough. Shough is leading the Saints on their longest win streak since 2022.

Having a young quarterback who feels like he can lead your franchise into the next era will energize any fan base. Shough is also paired with a stud left tackle, a safety who appears poised to be a long term starter and a safety who consistently draws praise. That’s three premier positions, most importantly quarterback.

Saints seemed poised to be an NFC South contender in 2026

No one should be surprised if the Saints break their playoff drought in 2026. They still have a ways to go to prove they can be contenders in the NFC or even a wild card team. What the Saints have proven, however, is that they can compete within their division.

Tyler Shough’s first victory came against the Carolina Panthers. A few weeks later, he and the Saints completed the season sweep. Shough defeated the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in his only start against them. The one blemish on his schedule is a loss against the Atlanta Falcons. He’ll be looking to avenge that in the season finale.

That’s three of Shough’s four victories as a starter that have come against divisional opponents. He’ll finish his rookie season at best 4-1 against the division and at worst 3-2. Either way it’s a winning record against the NFC South.

Carolina has taken a noticeable step up and could represent the division in the playoffs, but the Saints aren’t poised divisional contenders next season simply because they swept the potential divisional champs. The Saints have a chance because the NFC South still doesn’t have a runaway team in it.

The Saints already look much improved in the back half of the year with Shough starting. The developments we’re seeing at the end of this year, such as the ascension of Devaughn Vele and strong defensive performances, are traits that reasonably could carry over into next season. In a division that is still anyone’s to grab, the Saints could step into that void.