Saints 2025 NFL Schedule Released for Kellen Moore, Tyler Shough's Debut Season

The New Orleans Saints haven't been to the playoffs since the 2020 campaign, but they are hoping to change that following an offseason of notable moves.

Full schedule information available on the team's official website

The Saints hired new head coach Kellen Moore after he helped lead the Philadelphia Eagles to the Super Bowl title as the offensive coordinator and then selected a rookie quarterback in Tyler Shough in the second round of the 2025 NFL draft.

How Moore handles the quarterback spot will be a major storyline during a 2025 season that is coming more into shape following the release of the schedule.

Analysis

Any team in the NFC South is going to appear to have a more manageable schedule than many others since it was the only division in the conference last year to feature three teams with a record below .500.

Every division game is winnable, and the Saints also get the benefit of a last-place schedule and matchups against the Chicago Bears, New York Giants and Tennessee Titans. Even cross-conference games against the AFC East represent an opportunity to build some wins.

After all, the Buffalo Bills were the only team in that division to finish with a record above .500 last season.

That's not to say the entire schedule will be easy.

New Orleans and everyone else in the NFC South has to play against the NFC West, which is always a strong division. The Los Angeles Rams and Seattle Seahawks are coming off playoff appearances, and the San Francisco 49ers have been to the NFC Championship Game in three of the last four seasons.

Still, the Saints don't have a particularly daunting schedule during the upcoming season, which is surely welcome news for a first-year head coach in Moore who is looking to help the team bounce back from a disappointing 5-12 effort in 2024.

Pivotal Matchups

The NFC South feels more up for grabs than most divisions, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were able to win it last year at 10-7 in part because they went 4-2 against their divisional opponents.

New Orleans, by comparison, went 2-4.

The only way for the Saints to establish themselves as a threat in the NFC South is by finishing with a better divisional record, so games against the Buccaneers, Carolina Panthers and rival Atlanta Falcons immediately stand out.

But they also have to take advantage of other winnable games against NFC foes if they are going to be a playoff contender.

The Bears, Arizona Cardinals, Giants and 49ers are also looking to bounce back from disappointing 2024 campaigns and at least battle for wild-card spots in the NFC. If New Orleans is going to be a factor in that wild-card race, winning the majority of those head-to-head contests may be a requirement for tiebreaker purposes and positioning.

It would also give it more room in the division race while some of the other NFC South teams play teams that were in the playoffs a season ago.