The 2023 season was a weird one for the New Orleans Saints. It seemed as if the team was primed for a postseason berth, surging in the back half of the year and winning four of their last five games. That, however, wasn’t the case. The Saints’ season ended in the regular season. That is what’s most disappointing — they’re stuck at home watching the playoffs instead of competing in the postseason.
It wasn’t simply missing the playoffs that made this season a disappointment. The journey along the way was equally as disappointing and frustrating. And it’s important to acknowledge which position groups and players did not meet expectations. Which performances were the most disappointing in 2023? Here are our five picks:
5
Pete Werner
This was a down year for Pete Werner, visually not statistically. He was a healthy starter for a full season for the first time in his career. His stats naturally went up but so did his mistakes. His lack of athleticism was apparent in open-field opportunities more than previous seasons. He’s got to do a better job making plays in coverage.
4
Isaiah Foskey
Foskey is the most disappointing player from the Saints’ most recent draft class. He was an early second-round pick, yet the defensive end was primarily a special teams player. Despite New Orleans struggling to rush the passer, Foskey still didn’t play meaningful snaps. It’s far from over for him, but this year was disappointing for the rookie. An injury derailed his season but even when he was healthy he wasn’t seeing meaningful action.
3
Cameron Jordan
Jordan had 2 sacks in 17 games this season. It’s the first time he’s had fewer than 7.5 sacks since his rookie season. When you have a year like he had in your mid thirties, it’s easy to say it was Father Time catching up to Jordan. If you ask him though, he will say it was the multiple ankle sprains he had to manage throughout the year. Regardless the reason, this was a down year for Jordan.
2
Trevor Penning
Penning was benched after just five games, though he played a lot due to an injury the following week. After that, he played a total of 13 snaps on offense over the next 11 games. There were more injuries but never more Penning. The Saints can say they still believe in him, but actions speak louder. The Saints could draft another first-round left tackle just two years after picking Penning.
1
Derek Carr
When New Orleans signed Carr, there were expectations the Saints should easily be a playoff team. Unfortunately, the Saints didn’t live up to expectations, and the beginning of Carr’s time with New Orleans was littered with frustrating moments on and off the field. The offense struggled to move the ball and sputtered when they did. Carr improved late in the season, so hopefully that transitions into Year 2.
