Last Wednesday, the NFL released its full 2025 schedule. For the New Orleans Saints’ schedule, click here.
Below, we take a closer look at the Saints’ second-easiest league schedule, including one date to circle, the toughest (and easiest) four-game stretch and a key takeaway.
Circle the date: December 28 at Tennessee Titans (Week 17) |
Per ESPNBet, only the Cleveland Browns have a lower over-under win total (4.5) than the Saints and Titans (5.5), who are also tied with the New York Giants and New York Jets.
If New Orleans and Tennessee are as bad as oddsmakers expect, this penultimate game could have massive ripple effects on the 2026 NFL Draft. Whoever wins could be the bigger loser. Of the two, the Saints have more reason to tank.
They could be in the market for a quarterback next offseason, and the 2026 NFL Draft is expected to be rich with talented QBs. If the Titans, who selected quarterback Cam Ward No. 1 overall in last month’s NFL Draft, are ahead of the Saints in next year’s draft order, New Orleans could risk losing out on its preferred prospect if Tennessee sells its pick to the highest bidder.
Toughest stretch: Weeks 1-4 | The Saints open the season at home against the Cardinals, who were 6-4 through 10 games last season before losing five of their last seven. They’re a team on the rise that should be eager to take another leap forward in 2025.
New Orleans also plays two other NFC West teams, the San Francisco 49ers (home) and Seattle Seahawks (away), and the five-time defending AFC East champion Buffalo Bills on the road in its first four games. The Saints could easily be staring at a 0-4 start before hosting the New York Giants in Week 5.
Easiest stretch: Weeks 15-18 | New Orleans’ final four opponents have an average pre-season over-under win total of 6.25 (h/t ESPNBet), with its toughest game being in Week 18 at the Atlanta Falcons. The Saints play in Tennessee the week prior while hosting the Carolina Panthers and New York Jets in Weeks 15 and 16.
With a manageable slate to end the season, the Saints might be able to build positive momentum heading into 2026.
Main takeaway: Nothing to see here | For the first time since 2000, the Saints were excluded from the NFL’s prime-time schedule. If you’re an NFL franchise, you know you’ve reached your nadir when even “Thursday Night Football” is too good for you.
Not that anyone should feel sorry for New Orleans. If anything, we’re still waiting for an apology for its most recent pathetic primetime game, a 34-0 loss on “Monday Night Football” to the Green Bay Packers in December 2024.
Since former quarterback Drew Brees retired following the 2020 season, the team has been awful in night games, going 3-11, including losing five consecutive. The Saints have averaged 14.3 points per game and have been outscored by 145 points, 345-200.
The NFL did New Orleans — and football fans — a favor by taking it out of the spotlight. For seasons now, the Saints haven’t been ready for primetime. National audiences won’t have to suffer through more miserable performances in 2025.
