ClutchPoints
Training camp in New Orleans is always humid, always intense but never more so than in 2025. Now, the ghosts of the Drew Brees era are growing fainter and the short-lived Derek Carr experiment is in the rearview mirror. As such, this year’s camp feels like more than a fresh start. It feels like a genuine reckoning. The Saints have a new head coach in Kellen Moore, a defense under high-profile tinkerer Brandon Staley, and one of the NFL’s youngest rosters. In this pressurized cauldron, one name stands apart as a franchise pivot point. The energy is part desperation, part anticipation. The margin for error has never been thinner for the team or this key player.
The Saints’ offseason leaves much to be desired. Sure, hiring Moore as head coach was a solid move. However, it is far from an immediate solution. Staley’s arrival as defensive coordinator adds some intrigue, but his record is mixed. On offense, the line remains a weakness. Although rookie Kelvin Banks offers promise, no full-time Saints lineman earned a PFF grade above 70.0 last season.
Carr’s sudden retirement also created a leadership void without a clear replacement. The team’s only major quarterback addition was drafting Tyler Shough in the second round. That was a bold yet unproven choice. Meanwhile, expensive signings like safety Justin Reid feel redundant on a unit that was already solid. Up front, the Saints still lack a true game-changer on the defensive line.
Rather than commit to a full rebuild, New Orleans chose a middle path. They retooled while hoping for internal growth. The outlook is bleak, though, with projections calling for a 5–12 season marked by disappointment and obscurity. Success depends on unexpected breakout performances from the mix of young talent and veteran players.
Across the league, the sentiment is clear: the Saints look destined for a disaster this year, even before the season begins. Shough has suddenly become the centerpiece of what feels like an unplanned experiment. It’s not the ideal start for a new era, but it’s the hand New Orleans must play.
Here we’ll try to look at the New Orleans Saints player who is under the most pressure as they enter the 2025 NFL season.
No Saints player shoulders more pressure heading into 2025 than rookie QB Tyler Shough. The No. 40 overall pick has just wrapped up his final phase of offseason preparation. Ahead lies a critical QB battle with Spencer Rattler. That’s a competition that, contrary to assumptions, is as real as it gets. If you assumed Shough would start by default after Carr’s surprise retirement, think again.
Reports from inside the organization make it clear: this isn’t a coronation, it’s a dogfight.
“There are people in the building who like Spencer Rattler and want to give him a chance to compete with Shough for the job,” wrote ESPN’s Dan Graziano.
Remember that Rattler showed noted improvement this offseason after an uneven rookie...
