Bleacher Report’s Brad Gagnon recently published a piece about why each of the NFL’s 32 teams could finish last place this season. The New Orleans Saints are looking to build off of a 9-8 season, so it would obviously be a huge letdown if they finished last.
With all of this being said, let’s take a look at how the Saints could finish last, according to Gagnon. The question is whether their quarterback can keep pace with his competition:
A roster that has been slowly declining for years finally breaks while Cousins, Young and Baker Mayfield guide their teams to strong campaigns.
This is a short but fair way for the Saints to finish last. If the quarterback play in the NFC South takes a jump, New Orleans could be in for a tough year. Derek Carr didn’t meet expectations last season and the Saints brought in a new play caller and coaching staff to rectify that.
Kirk Cousins is going into his first year with the Atlanta Falcons. If he can play like he has in years past, he could be in for a very good season. Bryce Young is looking to rebound after a rough rookie year and could put it together this season now that the Carolina Panthers overhauled their coaching staff.
Finally, if Mayfield builds on his strong 2023 campaign, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers could be contenders to repeat as NFC South champs. His supporting cast is weaker than it was a year ago and expectations are higher now that he’s earned a big-money contract, but the Saints learned the hard way that he can’t be overlooked.
Gagnon’s other point has some merit. To say that certain guys like Cameron Jordan, Alvin Kamara, and Tyrann Mathieu are the players they used to be would be a lie. However, I’m not sure I would say the Saints are a declining roster. There is still tons of youth and talent in standouts with Pro Bowl potential like Chris Olave, Carl Granderson, Rashid Shaheed, and Erik McCoy.
It surely would be a disappointment to Saints fans to see the team finish in last place. If it’s going to happen, it likely would be for the two main reasons Gagnon touched on.
