Saints will dodge one of their most challenging opponents in 2025

Heading into the 2025 season, the New Orleans Saints defense can breathe a sigh of relief — they won’t have to deal with one of their most problematic opponents this year: Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert, who has dazzled against them in each game they’ve met since his rookie year in 2020.

Dalton Wasserman of Pro Football Focus highlighting the Achilles' heel for every highest-graded player against each franchise since 2020. For the Saints, that honor went to Herbert. Here’s what Wasserman had to say:

“Herbert apparently saves his best work for the Saints. In two career matchups against them, he has recorded an outstanding 91.8 PFF passing grade while producing 10 big-time throws. His most recent effort against them in Week 8 of 2024 was the highest-graded game of his career. It was also one of just four games last season in which a quarterback recorded at least five big-time throws and no turnover-worthy plays.”

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Herbert's two appearances against New Orleans tell the story:

• 2020: A thrilling 30-27 overtime loss against a Drew Brees-led Saints team in his rookie season.

• 2024: A commanding 26-8 win over a Saints team led by rookie QB Spencer Rattler and plagued by injuries.

   

Across those two games, Herbert has totaled 543 passing yards, 6 touchdowns, and zero interceptions with a sparkling 117.2 passer rating—clear evidence of his dominance over the Saints defense.

While the Saints won’t see Herbert in the regular season, they are scheduled to face the Chargers in joint practices and their first preseason game in Inglewood. Both Saints head coach Kellen Moore and defensive coordinator Brandon Staley spent significant time coaching Herbert during their tenures with the Chargers. That familiarity could make for an intense series of practices, as the Saints defense looks to flip the script against a quarterback who’s given them fits in the past.