The 2022 NFL regular season is quickly approaching, inching closer to the Hall of Fame Game on August 4. As the New Orleans Saints prepare for the start of training camp, fans are looking to find what makes this team a high potential one. There’s only a few more Sundays before the Caesars Superdome becomes ecstatic and the excitement starts. The question on Saints fans remains the same: will they make it back to the Super Bowl? And if so, when?
The Saints show a promising squad in 2022. Here’s how they stand out against the competition:
Hometown Hopefuls
Tyrann Mathieu and Jarvis Landry return back to Louisiana after leaving LSU and playing in the NFL. Mathieu, a Super Bowl winning safety with the Kansas City Chiefs and former Arizona Cardinal, has come back to his hometown team and is ready to bring his skills to an excellent defense led by Demario Davis. After 60 solo tackles and three interceptions last year, the ceiling is high for what Mathieu is expected to bring.
Landry, former Cleveland Browns and Miami Dolphins wide receiver, has the ability to be a mentor for the younger receivers and brings his experience from his former teams. His 570 yards on 52 receptions will be a key part in shaping the young offense in 2022.
The New Guys
First round draftees Chris Olave and Trevor Penning are just a few of the new faces in New Orleans. A former Ohio State wide receiver, Olave shares Michael Thomas’ background and will make for good chemistry inside the offense. Olave earned 2,711 yards on 176 receptions in 38 games at Ohio State, averaging 15.4 yards a carry. Per Tyler Eschette, Olave is considered one of three Saints to look out for as training camp nears.
Penning, a standout offensive tackle out of FCS Northern Iowa, entered the 2021 season as the highest-rated offensive tackle and FCS prospects for the 2022 NFL Draft. He also earned All-Missouri Valley Football Conference honors in 2021, hence a potentially exciting pick from the Saints.
They’re baaaack
Wide receiver Michael Thomas is edging back into the team after injury and can electrify this offense. In his last season before injury, Thomas gained 438 yards off of 40 receptions in only seven games. The more he stays healthy, the higher the chances of New Orleans hoisting the Lombardi Trophy.
Quarterback Jameis Winston is aiming to getting back into action in 2022. After a horrible ankle injury in 2021, his recovery is looking to finish close to the start of the season. Thomas Winston are ready to provide for their team and silence the doubters.
Those doubters have seen nothing but hopeful seasons that hit the end when the time was right.
What should silence the doubters?
The Saints have seen nothing short of a massive rise and fall of the franchise. Former head coach Sean Payton and former quarterback Drew Brees led the way for the Saints to earn their place in the NFL. It takes perseverance as it took to go from a poor franchise to a Super Bowl winning franchise.
Now is the time to rekindle that spark. Without Brees and Payton at the helm the questions still remain the same. Can Jameis bring home a super bowl in the near future? Will Thomas surge the offense with his presence again? What is stopping the defense from continuing being elite?
This Saints team doesn’t mimic previous seasons ending in heartbreak fashion. With the help from Saints General Manager Mickey Loomis and new head coach Dennis Allen, the Saints are ready for what’s to come. Loomis’ brilliance in keeping the Saints below the salary cap each and every year only shows his enthusiasm with his team. Only time will tell as to when this Saints team will reach the ultimate goal. For now, New Orleans will be home to a resilient team that has potential to make waves once again.
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