Saints Focused On More Than Just NFC South Title In 2026

It certainly sounds like the New Orleans Saints are gearing up for a big offseason ahead.

Right now, the Saints' salary cap situation doesn't look great on paper. Over The Cap has the Saints listed with just over -$19 million in salary cap space. The team will have to get into compliance, but that's nothing compared to last year. Last year, that number was closer to -$50 million at one point. The Saints figured it out and still added talented and retained guys, like Chase Young. Mickey Loomis acknowledged the cap work will be much easier this offseason.

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And that was after a bad season in 2024. The Saints won one more game than they did in 2024 in 2025 and have bigger expectations heading into 2026 with Tyler Shough firmly planted as the team's quarterback. Loomis and head coach Kellen Moore spoke highly of the rookie on Wednesday when speaking to the media.

The vibes are high in New Orleans

Nov 23, 2025; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Saints general manager Mickey Loomis during the Jimmy Graham retirement at Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images | Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

On top of this, Loomis made it clear that this offseason, the team's goals aren't just to build a team to win the division and squeak into the playoffs, but build a team that can make a run as soon as next year.

"I think all of us, you know, every day with every team, whether it is a coach or GM, has a vision for how they can win their division, regardless of how strong or weak you may think it is" Loomis said. "We're going to approach it the same way. How do we improve enough to win the division? We don't want to just win the division. We don't want to be an 8-9 team winning the division. We want to win the division, be dominant and have a chance to make a run in the playoffs. So that's what our goal is going to be."

"We don't want to be an 8-9 team winning the division. We want to win the division, be dominant and have a chance to make a run in the playoffs."#Saints GM Mickey Loomis on the organization's goals. pic.twitter.com/jHbH9trLbg
— NOF (@nofnetwork) January 7, 2026

The vibes are high, so much so that Loomis said you'd have to be in a coma to not see the optimism.

"Yeah, I'd probably be in a coma if I didn't recognize that there is optimism," Loomis said. "And that's exciting. Look, I want our fans to feel optimistic and have a vision for our team. So, yes, I do feel it. I am excited about it the same way that I'm excited about our team."

#Saints GM Mickey Loomis says he would have to "be in a coma" to not recognize the optimism around New Orleans. pic.twitter.com/4NHWPgN2wI
— NOF (@nofnetwork) January 7, 2026

The vibes are high in New Orleans and it sounds like the Saints are ready to get aggressive and make a run in the NFC South in 2026.

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