What we learned from the 2024 Saints season

After going 5-12 in 2024, the Saints season taught us a lot about the team.

The 2024 season was not a year the New Orleans Saints would like to remember. Injuries to just about every star on the team, a bad defense, and just five wins were all a part of the disastrous year for New Orleans. While there weren’t a lot of positives to come out of the season, we learned a lot about the team and how they responded. From firing a head coach in the middle of the season to starting a rookie quarterback with immense promise, the 2024 season was just a foreshadow of what’s to come.

Spencer Rattler has the talent to be the future at QB

Injuries took a huge toll on the Saints’ season with the wide receiver room and the offensive line taking the biggest hits. Along with other key positions being injured, quarterback Derek Carr missed time, calling for rookie Spencer Rattler to get his first NFL action. Rattler showed flashes in his time starting, but the rookie couldn’t overcome the circumstances and ended the season 0-6 as a starter. The New Orleans offense isn’t fit for a rookie and the injuries only added to the problems. Drops, lack of protection, and the inability to run the ball were all constant obstacles that Rattler faced. While the young quarterback wasn’t able to earn his first win as a starter, he flashed his talent and ability to make plays and take over. These moments were often short-lived and other moments quickly reminded you that he was a rookie. The 24-year-old quarterback’s talent is through the roof and he can be a starter in the NFL. It’s up to New Orleans to surround Rattler with the proper coaching and talent to develop the young quarterback into their starter for the future.

There’s a lot of questions and little excitement surrounding the team, and may not be in 2025.

New Orleans is entering the offseason $70 million over the cap with multiple aging players on big contracts the team can’t get out of. Along with having plenty of older guys nearing retirement, the Saints have struggled to find sustainable young talent in the draft that can make an impact. Outside of a few first-round selections, the Saints’ recent drafts have been lackluster and have failed to find quality starters to fill holes.

New Orleans will go into the 2025 season with little excitement and a lot of uncertainty. Retirements looming, releasing players on big contracts, and a new head coach transitioning in are all pointing towards what may be the Saints’ first real build season in years. Even if New Orleans elects not to take the rebuild season route, there isn’t much excitement surrounding the team. They won’t be able to bring in big-name free agents and players past their primes are likely to remain on the team due to large dead money cap hits. Even in a season where the Saints were bad, they weren’t bad enough to land themselves a high draft pick. With only five wins in 2024, the Saints somehow managed to barely squeeze into the top 10 of the draft where they’ll be selecting ninth overall. Pending some big offseason developments, the Saints could be in the same position they are right now.

Dennis Allen was a problem, but not THE problem

Dennis Allen missed the playoffs in his first two seasons coaching the Saints before getting fired in 2024 after starting 2-7. Allen finished his tenure in New Orleans with an 18-25 win/loss ratio. immediately after his firing, the Saints would go 3-1 over the next four games before another four-game losing streak. Interim head coach Darren Rizzi’s hiring made a huge impact in the locker room with players wearing a “Merry Rizzmas” shirt once it was announced he would take over. The players are big fans of the former special teams coordinator and they’ll play that much harder for him. But for the Saints, their problems stem from more than just a coach.

There are plenty of holes in the roster, the locker room has dealt with controversy, and the culture as a whole has been lost. The days of Drew Brees and Sean Payton are over but the team has tried to continue business as usual. One of the major keys has been the lack of desire to start a rebuild. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not suggesting tanking. New Orleans has missed the playoffs in each of their three seasons trying to compete since they’ve lost their legendary coach and quarterback. The team’s unwillingness to try and do a soft rebuild is what is keeping them from being able to compete and may keep them from getting a chance at a head coach of their choice. Whichever candidate elects to take the Saints open job will come in $70 million over the cap with a looming decision on a veteran quarterback with a large contract who has missed more games than he’s won in his two years. The front office has been around for some of the greatest years in Saints history, now it’s time to let the past go and work towards a new future.

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