Saints rushing woes produce Kellen Moore career-lows

Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

By Ross Jackson

It was expected to be a strength for the 2025 New Orleans Saints, but it turns out the team’s rushing attack was one of the worst in head coach Kellen Moore’s play calling career.

When he was hired, Moore’s successful run games of the past were expected to be a highlight for the Saints in his first year. Instead, the team underperformed those expectations to an alarming extent. One that will certainly put this area of the game under the microscope as New Orleans returns from a brief hiatus in the coming weeks to begin their 2025 evaluations.

2025 Saints Rushing Statistics

Rushing attempts: 435 (No. 23 in the NFL)

Rushing yards: 1,603 (No. 28)

Yards per carry: 3.7 (No. 31)

Rushing touchdowns: 9 (T-No. 27)

Yards before contact per rush: 0.90 (No. 30)

Yards after contact per rush: 2.79 (No. 25)

New Orleans never found its stride in the run game with the exception of some positive performances here and there from star back Alvin Kamara and some physical running at the end of the season by running backs Devin Neal and Audric Estime.

The team didn’t field a single 500-yard rusher in 2025 and dealt with numerous injuries at both running back and along the interior of the offensive line. Rookie quarterback Tyler Shough led the team in rushing touchdowns with three, with Neal the only back to get multiple scores on the ground (two).

It was the first time in a Moore-called offense that a team didn’t finish with at least one 500-yard rusher, and the lowest league rankings for rushing yards, rushing touchdowns and yards per rush of his playcalling career. Even the 2023 Los Angeles Chargers topped the Saints’ most recent performance.

Going into the 2026 offseason, the rushing attack must be a focus for New Orleans. The team may have to make some tough decisions along the way, but it’s time for the Saints to consider decisively revamping this area of the game. With a young quarterback that has shown a lot of promise in tow, New Orleans should have the salary cap flexibility and drive to change things up over the next few years.