New Orleans sports are usually a wild ride, but the New Orleans Saints 2024 record ended up being a car crash that started as a victory parade. Honestly, nobody saw it coming. Not after those first two weeks. If you were sitting in the Superdome in early September, you probably thought this team was headed for a Super Bowl. They looked unstoppable. Dominant. Historic.
Then the wheels didn't just come off; they basically disintegrated.
The Saints finished 2024 with a 5-12 record. That’s the hard truth. It’s a number that feels like a punch in the gut for a fanbase that watched their team drop 91 points in the first two games of the season.
The Mirage of a 2-0 Start
Let’s talk about those first two weeks because they haunt every Saints fan I know.
New Orleans opened the season by absolutely demolishing the Carolina Panthers 47-10. It wasn't just a win; it was a statement. Derek Carr looked like an MVP. They scored on their first nine possessions. Nine! That’s unheard of. Then they went to Dallas and hung 44 points on a Cowboys defense that was supposed to be elite. Alvin Kamara was teleporting through holes for four touchdowns.
The "Who Dat" nation was on fire. People were booking hotels in February.
But looking back, it was a total mirage. The 2024 New Orleans Saints record became a story of "what if" because those two games were the peak. It was downhill from there—fast.
Why the Season Collapsed
You’ve heard the excuses. Injuries. Bad luck. Tough schedule.
While those things mattered, the reality was a mix of systemic failure and a roster that just couldn't handle the "avalanche of injuries" that GM Mickey Loomis later mentioned.
The Quarterback Carousel
Derek Carr was having a career year until he wasn't. He hit the 40,000-yard career milestone in Kansas City, joining a very short list of legends. But then he went down with an oblique injury against the Chiefs in Week 5. That was the beginning of the end.
Spencer Rattler, the rookie out of South Carolina, was thrown into the fire. He had some flashes—the kid has a live arm—but he wasn't ready to carry a team that was missing half its offensive line. Jake Haener got some looks too. But when your QB1 is on the sideline, everything breaks.
Carr eventually came back, but he never looked the same. By the time he suffered a fractured hand and a concussion against the Giants in December—an injury that eventually forced him into retirement in early 2025—the season was already a lost cause.
The Seven-Game Nightmare
After starting 2-0, the Saints did something truly impressive for all the wrong reasons. They lost seven games in a row. It was the longest losing streak the franchise had seen since 1999.
- Week 3: A heartbreaking 12-15 loss to the Eagles.
- Week 6: Getting 51 hung on them by Tampa Bay.
- Week 9: Losing 22-23 to a Panthers team they had crushed earlier in the year.
That loss to Carolina in Week 9 was the final nail. You can't lose to a divisional rival that everyone else is beating and keep your job.
The Firing of Dennis Allen
On November 4, 2024, the Saints officially relieved Dennis Allen of his duties. He left with a 2-7 record for the year.
It was a tough day for the organization. Allen had been there for twenty years in various roles. He was a Sean Payton disciple. But the team had no spark. The defense, which was supposed to be his specialty, was giving up explosive plays like they were handing out candy.
Darren Rizzi, the Special Teams Coordinator, stepped in as the interim coach.
Rizzi actually brought some life back to the locker room. He went 3-5 to close out the year. He was fiery, energetic, and the players seemed to play harder for him. But even Rizzi couldn't fix a 5-12 trajectory with a roster held together by duct tape and prayers.
Statistical Breakdown: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly
The New Orleans Saints 2024 record doesn't tell the whole story. Some individual players actually had monster years.
- Alvin Kamara: The man is a machine. He finished with 950 rushing yards (a career high) and 543 receiving yards. He became the franchise's all-time leading rusher on November 10 against Atlanta. He played his heart out while everything else was crumbling.
- Chris Olave: Despite dealing with concussions, Olave was a bright spot. He and Rashid Shaheed are arguably the best young duo in the league, but they spent too much time on the injury report.
- The Defense: Cameron Jordan and Chase Young both hit double-digit sacks (10.5 and 10 respectively). But the team's turnover margin was -4. You can't win games when you're giving the ball away more than you're taking it.
| Category | Saints (2024) |
|---|---|
| Points Per Game | 19.9 (24th in NFL) |
| Total Offensive Yards | 5,442 |
| Passing Touchdowns | 21 |
| Rushing Touchdowns | 15 |
| Third Down Conversion % | 39.46% |
The offensive line was basically a revolving door. Taliese Fuaga, the rookie tackle, played well, but injuries to Erik McCoy and others meant the middle of the pocket was constantly collapsing. It's hard to throw the ball when there's a 300-pound defensive tackle in your lap two seconds after the snap.
The Long-Term Impact
The 2024 season was a turning point. It wasn't just a bad year; it was the end of an era.
The retirement of Derek Carr following his hand and shoulder complications changed the math for 2025. The Saints had to stop trying to "re-tool" and finally admit they were in a rebuild. They finished last in the NFC South for the first time since 2008.
That hurts.
But if there's a silver lining, it's that the Saints are finally looking forward instead of trying to recapture the magic of 2009. They have young talent like Kool-Aid McKinstry and Bryan Bresee. They have a high draft pick. They have a chance to reset the culture under new leadership.
What's Next for the Saints?
If you're looking for where the team goes from here, the focus is 100% on the quarterback room and the coaching search.
- Stabilize the QB Room: With Carr gone, the team is looking at Jake Haener, Spencer Rattler, and their 2025 draft picks. Expect a veteran "bridge" QB to come in, but the future is with a rookie.
- Fix the Salary Cap: It’s the annual Saints tradition. They are always in cap hell, and 2025 is no different. Mickey Loomis has some serious math to do.
- Defensive Identity: The 2024 defense was inconsistent. They need to get back to being the physical, takeaway-heavy unit that defined the early Dennis Allen years.
The New Orleans Saints 2024 record of 5-12 is a stain on the franchise's recent history, but it might be the "rock bottom" they needed to finally change direction. Watching your team lose 12 games is brutal. But sometimes, you have to tear the house down to the studs before you can build something that actually stands.
To track the progress of the rebuild, keep a close eye on the 2025 NFL Draft order and the initial free agency moves. Those first three months of the new league year will determine if 2024 was a one-year disaster or the start of a long drought.
Actionable Next Steps:
- Review the 2025 Draft Picks: The Saints' 5-12 finish secured a top-10 pick. Look for them to target either a franchise Left Tackle or a blue-chip Defensive End.
- Monitor the Salary Cap: Check sites like OverTheCap to see which veterans (like Taysom Hill or Alvin Kamara) might face contract restructures to get the team under the 2025 limit.
- Follow the Coaching Search: With Dennis Allen gone and Kellen Moore taking over the offense for the next cycle, the team's philosophical shift will be visible in their staff hires.