The New Orleans Saints opened their 2026 preseason with a 24-20 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars. New Orleans carried a 20-6 lead into halftime before being outscored 18-0 over the final two quarters. The result doesn't matter much, especially with most of the Saints' starters sitting out. Individual performances stand out — and several players strengthened their roster cases while others missed an opportunity. Here are the studs and dude from the Saints' preseason opener.
Wilson made a strong impression in his Saints debut. He completed 11 of 16 passes for 145 yards and a touchdown pass to rookie tight end Oscar Delp. He pushed the ball downfield very well, connecting with several receivers for explosive gains, and finished with a 118.0 passer rating.
Rattler completed eight of his 11 attempts, but those completions produced just 42 yards. He also took two sacks and lost a fumble. It could have closed the gap that Rattler had over Wilson in the QB2 competition, which will be something to watch out for over the coming weeks.
The undrafted rookie continued building on his strong training camp with an outstanding preseason debut. Heldman recorded six total tackles, two sacks, and three tackles for loss. He'll continue making a serious push for a place on the 53-man roster.
The Saints failed to score in the second half after taking a 20-6 lead into the break. Hunter Dekkers nearly completed a game-winning drive in the closing minutes, but the Saints just couldn't finish it.

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