Latest news with #NewOrleansSaints
USA Today
6 hours ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Drew Brees' former teammate says what we're all thinking about his Hall of Fame candidacy
Drew Brees - 1st ballot New Orleans Saints legend Drew Brees is eligible for the Pro Football Hall of Fame for the first time in 2026, as he has finally made it five years away from his last playing season by then. Not only every Saints fan, but every ball-knowing NFL fan agrees Brees is a first-ballot Hall of Fame lock; there is nothing to discuss when it comes to the topic; he has done everything you could ask from him, and put together an award list that goes on for about two pages on its own. Super Bowl winner, Super Bowl MVP, two-time OPOY, five-time All-Pro, 13-time Pro Bowler, seven-time NFL passing yards leader, four-time NFL passing touchdowns leader, owns three of the top five single-season completion percentages, Saints Hall of Famer, Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year, most career 5,000 yard seasons, most consecutive games with a touchdown pass, 80,358 passing yards, 571 career passing touchdowns, 67.7% career completion rate, and for those who care, a 172-114 career record with a Saints team that lacked competent defensive play for many years. That is less than a quarter of what he did for New Orleans on the field, never mind off it. The only man above Brees in some of the key career passing statistics is Tom Brady, due to his extra 49 starts, who will also be pretty much the strongest lock for first-ballot Hall of Fame induction when he is eligible. But when it comes to efficiency, effectiveness in all scenarios, and just year-by-year dominance no matter who is surrounding him, Brees takes the cake. One of Brees' longtime teammates and fellow Super Bowl XLIV champion, punter Thomas Morstead, made clear his view of the eligibility for Brees, sharing a simple four-word response when discussing the upcoming 2026 class: That is about as simple as it gets, and anyone who played with or against him would likely have the same response when asked. Brees was lethal in every facet of his game, both in his prime and even towards the back-end of his career. While it is a complete injustice that he never received an MVP award, it just simply does not matter towards his eligibility, because the second you look at his numbers and profound impact on the team he played the majority of his career for, it is clear where he belongs. Canton, Ohio.
USA Today
6 hours ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Alvin Kamara odds to win 2025 NFL MVP
Alvin Kamara is +50000 to win the NFL's Most Valuable Player award in 2025, which ranks him 26th in the league. The New Orleans Saints player has two futures wagers available in all, just continue reading for further details. He had 228 carries for 950 yards rushing a season ago (67.9 per game) while scoreing six TDs. He also caught 68 passes for 543 yards (38.8 per game) and two touchdowns through the air. Watch the NFL on Fubo! Alvin Kamara futures odds NFL odds courtesy of BetMGM Sportsbook. Odds updated Wednesday at 7:31 p.m. ET. For a full list of sports betting odds, access USA TODAY Sports Betting Scores Odds Hub. Alvin Kamara 2024 game log Get New Orleans Saints gear at Fanatics!
USA Today
8 hours ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Saints WR Rashid Shaheed coming back with a vengeance after 2024 knee injury
While most people may find Rashid Shaheed a fun weapon for the New Orleans Saints offense, he has his sights set on earning even more respect in 2025 by winning that top wide receiver spot. "My role is just expanding and that's exactly what I want," said Shaheed when he spoke to the media earlier in training camp. One of the things that new Saints head coach Kellen Moore does well is creating plays for specific players. There are few guys in the league with a skillset that coaches want to experiment with than Shaheed. On paper, it is a match made in heaven. In his first three seasons, Shaheed had 94 catches for 1,556 yards with 10 touchdowns. He's even rushed 17 times for 123 yards and a score. That's also not mentioned the fact that he is an All-Pro second-teamer and earned a Pro Bowl nod for his work on special teams. The only issue with him is that he has a tough time staying on the field. He has bulked as well, adding about 10 pounds of muscle to get to 190. That could both open up his play style and help him stay on the field. "(This) is far from what I ever thought I'd be playing at, but I feel good. Feel like I'm moving great at this weight," Shaheed added later in the same press conference. 'It's all about longevity, and I feel like that weight is important.' Having Shaheed break out would be absolutely game-changing for this offense. No matter who the young quarterback that ends up with the starting job is, they need more threats to throw the ball to. Shaheed, Chris Olave and Brandin Cooks are a solid enough group in theory, but the truth is that none of them produced enough last year and missed major time due to injury. They are also lacking a true big-bodied threat, so they will need all of their stars to play up to their ability to have success. Though Olave is known as the top dog in that receiver room, there is plenty of room for Shaheed to break out and become wide receiver one. This chance could not come at a better time for the 26-year-old, as he is in the last season under contract after signing a one-year, $4.45 million extension last summer. A big year could result in a big payday.
USA Today
14 hours ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Tyrann Mathieu's New Orleans Saints jersey won't be reassigned just yet
The New Orleans Saints saw a local legend walk away when safety Tyrann Mathieu surprisingly retired earlier in July. Although they quickly signed another player at that position, they are not going to give his jersey number away immediately. It's notable given Derek Carr's No. 4 jersey was reassigned to cornerback Kool-Aid McKinstry shortly after the quarterback's retirement. Mathieu sported No. 32 throughout his entire NFL career, including his three-year stint back home in New Orleans. Former Indianapolis Colts safety Julian Blackmon also wore No. 32 for the first five years of his pro career, but is currently using No. 28 with the Saints. The expectation is not that Mathieu will get his jersey retired or anything; it is just a nice gesture for a local legend. He played for just three seasons in black and gold, but his impact on New Orleans will always be far greater. He is from the city and serves as a great example of someone who made it all the way to the top. Mathieu may have an outside chance at the Pro Football Hall of Fame, however, which may be the best chance he gets honored by the Saints. He had 838 career tackles, 36 interceptions, three Pro Bowls, four All-Pro first team nods, a second team nod and won a Super Bowl with the Kansas City Chiefs. He is also one of the current generation's most famous football players, dating back to his college days, which won't hurt "the Honey Badger's" case. No matter the full reason that he did not get his jersey number taken immediately. Even if it did, it will be hard for fans not to associate that number with him for a long time to come.
USA Today
16 hours ago
- Sport
- USA Today
ESPN gives Saints a boost in ranking teams by their best young players
We can argue about how intentional it is, or whether it's as meaningful as ESPN would suggest, but the New Orleans Saints have embarked on a youth moment. A lot of it is due to Derek Carr's retirement earlier this year, which forced general manager Mickey Loomis and his crew to reevaluate things. Priorities shifted. Expectations turned into aspirations. And at the end of the day, the team is counting on young talent to turn their fortunes around, if not today or tomorrow, but in the next few years. It's the guys under 25, not those over 30, who are going to have to make a difference. And it won't be easy. Last year, ESPN's Aaron Schatz ranked all 32 teams by the strength of their youngest players. The Saints ranked 30th, with few hits and too many misses in their recent draft classes. They've made progress this year. Going into the 2025 season, Schatz bumped the Saints up from 30th to 24th, helped by the immediate success Taliese Fuaga found as a rookie. Here's where he sees reasons for optimism on each side of the ball: Any look at young talent in New Orleans begins on the offensive line with the starting tackles: Kelvin Banks Jr., chosen No. 9 this year, and Fuaga, chosen No. 14 last year, are 23. Spencer Rattler is still 24 and is theoretically competing for the starting quarterback job, but remember that the player he's competing with, second-round pick Tyler Shough, is turning 26 in late September. Defensive lineman Bryan Bresee was a first-round pick two years ago and is still just 23 years old. Cornerback Kool-Aid McKinstry started nine games already last year, and is 22 years old to start the season (he turns 23 on Sept. 30). The rest of the young talent on defense is depth including edge rusher Isaiah Foskey (24) and rookies Vernon Broughton (a 24-year-old defensive tackle) and Jonas Sanker (a 22-year-old safety). It'll take all of those guys and more to help the Saints return to the NFL's elite; or at least to join the ranks of teams that regularly post winning records. A couple of this year's fourth-round draft picks have made waves at training camp with both linebacker Danny Stutsman and cornerback Quincy Riley intercepting Rattler in team drills. Wide receivers Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed are both 26 and don't count for this exercise, but they're cornerstone pieces of the offense. Hopefully the Saints can work out long-term extensions with both wideouts and get back to the top of the NFC South standings.
