Five takeaways from Loomis, Moore end of year presser

By Ross Jackson

METAIRIE, La. – The New Orleans Saints’ 2025-26 campaign is in the books and on Wednesday, the team wrote the final passage with general manager Mickey Loomis and head coach Kellen Moore speaking with the media.

The two discussed a litany of topics including the optimism around the team, this year’s offseason evaluation process, the success of rookie quarterback Tyler Shough and even gave some insight into the draft strategy and competitive hopes the team has for 2026.

Here are five of the most important takeaways and insights from the Saints brass.

To no surprise, the Saints are committed to Shough as their quarterback moving forward.

The Saints are ready to move ahead with their second-round 2025 draft pick headed into 2026. He finished his rookie campaign 5-4, setting several rookie passing franchise records and is a hopeful for NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year.

“We feel great with Tyler,” Moore said. “Tyler’s done an awesome job through this entire process. He’s gotten a ton better, he’s taken advantage of a bunch of opportunities. We’re excited to have a full offseason to build. “

Loomis knows there’s excitement around the team, but is remaining realistic about the future.

The general manager didn’t shy away from the positivity the fanbase is feeling around his club, but he doesn’t want to overly buy into yet either.

“I’d probably be in a coma if I didn’t recognize that there’s optimism and that’s exciting,” he said. “I want our fans to feel optimistic and have the same vision that we have for our team. So yes, I do feel it. I’m excited about that, just like I’m excited about our team.”

Despite that optimism, Loomis knows there’s work to be done in order to maintain and capitalize on it. 

“There’s still lots of questions. There’s lots of things that we have to accomplish and do,” he said when asked how much easier the offseason can be with a head coach and potential franchise quarterback in the building.

New Orleans leaned more into a rebuilding model in 2025 than initially expected.

Loomis quickly confirmed that the team embraced a rebuilding, or retooling, mindset more than anticipated in 2025.The initial catalyst for that shift is exactly what many would have guessed: the unexpected retirement of former starting quarterback Derek Carr.

“I think the beginning of that was just Derek (Carr) not being able to play this year,” Loomis said. “That’s the beginning of it. And then, ‘Okay, we’re going to have a young quarterback, and there’s going to be a lot of development.’ So how can we develop the rest of the team along with his development, so that you marry this timeline of his improvement and the things that we’re going to need to be able to do to support him?”

Loomis highlighted building a defense and run game as a part of that support for the quarterback. While the defensive build happened quickly, things like protection and a rushing attack appear to be still in process. Both are likely to be a big focus this offseason.

That focus can play out through additions in free agency and the NFL Draft, how also by getting injured players back and getting more from those already on the roster that the team wants to see bolstered contributions.

“Erik McCoy is a really, really good player but he’s been injured the last few years, so we have to examine that,” he said. Are we putting him in difficult positions? How can we correct that, not let that happen again? Cesar’s (Ruiz) really good player, and yet, I think we’ve got to get more out of him as well.”

The Saints are fine going best player available in the draft rather than targeting a specific position.

The NFL Draft will present a lot of intriguing options to New Orleans, who will select No. 8 overall this year. Loomis feels that the team will be in position to focus on impact players rather than the specific positions those players occupy.

“I think the depth of this draft class right now looks pretty good and I think we’re going to be in a position to kind of take the best player that’s available that can impact our team,” Loomis said.  “As opposed to ‘We have to have  this position or that position.’ Obviously, there’ll be positions that we prefer, but I don’t think we’re going to be in a position where we have to get a particular position.”

This gives a light indication that positional value won’t be a huge determining factor (outside of the obvious) in the team’s early draft approach.

The NFC South is primed for competition and Loomis hopes to dominate the division sooner rather than later. 

Since the NFL shifted to a 17-game regular season (2021), the NFC South has been won by a team with fewer than 10 wins three times (out of five). A losing schedule has won the division twice in the last five years.

The Saints see this as an opportunity to not only compete in the division, but to control it.

“We don’t want to just win the division,” Loomis said. “We don’t want to be an 8-9 winning team in the division. We want to win the division, be dominant, and have a chance to make a run in the playoffs.”