The book is closed on a 6-11 2025 season that saw the New Orleans Saints finish last in the NFC South. The path back to contention, as outlined in recent external analyses, is fraught with difficult but necessary decisions, primarily centered on the NFL’s salary cap.
The Saints are perpetually in “cap gymnastics” mode, and 2026 is no exception. While the team announced it will not raise season ticket prices—a goodwill gesture to the fanbase—the financial ledger remains the biggest obstacle. The front office, led by General Manager Mickey Loomis, must create tens of millions in cap space just to become compliant and then operate in free agency. This will likely involve contract restructures, painful veteran releases, and potentially not re-signing beloved players.
Linebacker Demario Davis, the heart and soul of the defense for eight seasons, has openly discussed the possibility of playing elsewhere in 2026. His potential departure would be a seismic cultural shift. Other veterans on sizable contracts across the roster will be scrutinized. The Saints must balance respect for past contributors with the harsh reality of building a competitive team for the future.
The strategy is twofold: manage the cap with surgical precision to create flexibility, and hit a home run in the 2026 NFL Draft, where they are expected to have a high selection. The work at the Senior Bowl is the first step in the latter. The Saints cannot afford to miss on their early picks. They need immediate, high-level contributors on cost-controlled rookie deals. The “blueprint” is clear: make shrewd, unsentimental financial moves to clear the deck, and then execute a near-perfect draft. The extension of Julian Blackmon is a small, sensible first step, but the heavy lifting for this offseason blueprint has only just begun.