Even teams destined for losing seasons will project confidence heading into an NFL season. There's no other way to be. The games ultimately determine whether that confidence level was merited.
For the past five seasons the New Orleans Saints have shown it wasn't, with a playoff drought stretching back to Drew Brees' final campaign. But this year, the same offseason that saw Brees enter the Hall of Fame, former Saints linebacker and Super Bowl champion Scott Shanle tells WWL Radio that he's seeing a level of justified confidence around the 2026 group that feels a bitdifferent as they roll toward the season-opener on Sept. 13.
“I just think the overall vibe and the confidence level of this team is unlike anything that I’ve seen, really, the past three or four years," Shanle told WWL Radio's Steve Geller and Deuce McAllister this week on SportsTalk.
Brought to you by TRANESOUTH: It's hard to stop a Tranewww.audacy.comHear the full interview with former Saints LB Scott Shanle in the player above. Can't see the embed? Click here.
But what's driving that confidence? There are a few elements to identify, but chief among them is a clear belief in Kellen Moore as he heads into Year 2 as head coach. It was noticeable at the end of the 2025 season as his team rallied together and bounced back from a 1-7 start to finish 6-11, including a stretch of four consecutive wins. The confidence level in the locker room grew quickly during that stretch, and Shanle says he saw that continue to build in this year's training camp.
"I just think this team, the way they played late last year, they believe in Kellen Moore, all the guys love him," Shanle continued. "He’s an authentic head coach, he doesn’t try to fake who he is, and I think guys have really gravitated toward his coaching style. ... So I think when you play the way they did at the end of last year, and then you get a little bit of love from the national media, it puts a little bounce in your step, and that’s kind of the overall thing I’ve noticed this offseason going into this year."
But how can the Saints turn that confidence into a successful season and a return to the playoffs? A lot will hinge on the performances of young players and whether they can continue to develop and step forward in Year 2. Among that group is QB Tyler Shough, CB Quincy Riley and new nickel corner Jonas Sanker, all of whom started at least nine games in the 2025 season.
Shough, in particular, owns a significant amount of pressure to build on a season that saw him finish second in voting for Offensive Rookie of the Year and launched him into 2026 as the unquestioned starter.
"Everybody in that room believes that [Shough] is an NFL franchise quarterback," Shanle said. "You can tell by the way they play. You can tell by the way they talk. You can tell by the bounce in their step. So Tyler can play well, but ... all these young guys who played a lot of football last year and new young guys, you’ve got to update your resume every time you step on the field. No one cares what you did last year. No one cares if you emerged as a solid player as a rookie. It’s about improving and becoming a better player every single year. The margin in this league is so slim that if you’re just staying the same you’re losing ground.”
