The New Orleans Saints did far too much losing during the 2024 regular season, and it's not a label they'd like to get slapped with.
Not only were the Saints 5-12 last season, but their future looks even murkier. They have no idea if starting quarterback Derek Carr will be healthy by the start of the season, and they're not sure if second-round pick Tyler Shough can be their long-term answer at the position.
General manager Mickey Loomis said after the draft that Carr will start if he's healthy. The 34-year-old went 5-5 when he played for the Saints last season, but his stats have declined year after year, and he was never elite to begin with.
But Shough is 25, only started one full season in college, and could very easily be one-and-done in the NFL if he has to start right away for this undermanned Saints team.
Because of the quarterback situation, Bleacher Report's Moe Moton labeled the Saints as the "biggest offseason losers" in the NFC South in an article published on Monday.
"At the least, the Saints have an awkward quarterback situation, and a new coaching staff is tasked with sorting it out while Loomis publicly backs an ailing veteran on the back end of his career," Moton wrote.
"Shough had an extensive injury history in college, though. He's only played through one full season as a starter. The Saints made a mistake passing on Jalen Milroe, who has a higher upside, and pro-ready Shedeur Sanders, for a one-year collegiate starter with spotty availability."
There are plenty of other reasons for the Saints to be concerned if the quarterback situation is taken out of consideration. They have the worst future cap situation of anyone, and their offensive skill group and pass rush are both highly suspect, without much young talent in the pipeline.
So is Bleacher Report's assessment correct? It would be hard not to at least murmur a bit of assent.
