The New Orleans Saints are riding a wave of optimism heading into the 2026 season. After finishing dead last in the NFC South in 2025, the team closed the year with genuine momentum behind rookie quarterback Tyler Shough. An aggressive offseason has only added fuel to the fire—highlighted by the additions of running back Travis Etienne Jr., left guard David Edwards, and linebacker Kaden Elliss in free agency, plus dynamic wide receiver Jordyn Tyson in the draft. Now, the question on everyone’s mind: Can Kellen Moore’s squad pull off one of the NFL’s rarest feats and go from worst to first in their division?

It’s a challenge only four teams have conquered since the NFL expanded to a 17-game schedule in 2021. Interestingly, the AFC South saw it happen in back-to-back years, and last season, both the New England Patriots (AFC East) and Chicago Bears (NFC North) made the leap. What can the Saints learn from those trailblazers?

The road map isn’t easy to follow. Both the Patriots and Bears brought in new head coaches in 2025, sparking rapid culture shifts and entirely new playbooks. They also entered the season on extended losing streaks—New England had finished last in the AFC East for two straight years, while Chicago had been stuck in the NFC North basement since 2022. That pattern holds true historically. The 2023 Houston Texans hired DeMeco Ryans and skyrocketed from three wins to ten. The year before, Doug Pederson’s Jacksonville Jaguars tripled their win total, jumping from 3-14 to 9-8 in his first season.

Here’s the catch: No team has pulled off a worst-to-first turnaround with a second-year head coach over the last five years. That doesn’t mean the Saints should pack it in for Moore’s sophomore campaign—it just means they’d be breaking new ground.

So what specific changes fueled those historic turnarounds? The 2022 Jaguars provide a compelling blueprint. Jacksonville’s offense ranked dead last in scoring the year before, and rookie quarterback Trevor Lawrence was struggling to lift a unit that was among the bottom ten in yards per play. The turnaround came through a combination of smart roster moves, a simplified offensive system, and a defense that forced timely turnovers. For the Saints, the formula may be similar: steady quarterback play from Shough, a revitalized ground game with Etienne, and a defense that can create game-changing plays. If Moore can replicate even half of that magic, New Orleans could be the next team to flip the script. The NFC South is wide open—and the Saints are ready to run through it.