TJ Jefferson#66 of 87 NFL pundits · Jul 23, 2026
Jefferson picked the New Orleans Saints as their sleeper team, citing an easy schedule and Tyler Shough, and said they'll surprise people.
Said on air, transcribed by us · The Rich Eisen Show (podcast)Hear the original
What TJ Jefferson said
I think the New Orleans Saints are gonna surprise some people.
- Where it was said
- The Rich Eisen Show (podcast)
- The episode
- Hour 1: Guest Host Seth Rollins, Aaron Donald & LeBron Latest, plus NFL Sleeper Teams Draft: Round 1
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- Tell us and we will look
The page this came from has changed since we captured it on Aug 12, 2026. The quote and evidence here are from our capture, not from what the page says today.
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Surprise Team CallsNew Orleans Saints
New Orleans Saints to beat expectations
VerdictWaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Who this take is about
Others on the same people
Ross Jackson · Roster Spot Calls · Zamir White · Miss 0
Ross Jackson gives their final preseason 53-man roster projection for the New Orleans Saints, naming who makes the initial roster at every position group, who starts on injured reserve or the practice squad, and who the five starting offensive linemen and kicker will be.Doug Joubert · Roster Spot Calls · Charlie Smyth · Hit 100
Joubert projects the Saints' 53-man roster ahead of the cutdown deadline, naming every player they expect to make the team by position group, plus several players they expect to receive PUP/IR designations, and predicting Torricelli Simpkins will later be moved to the practice squad.Ross Jackson · Roster Spot Calls · Charlie Smyth · Hit 100
Ross Jackson lays out their early defensive 53-man roster projection for the 2026 Saints, naming five edge rushers, four interior defensive linemen, five cornerbacks, five linebackers and five safeties, plus their kicker, punter and long snapper, and sends Mike Heldman, Chris Rumph and Jackson Sirmon to the practice squad.Ross Jackson · Roster Spot Calls · Jordyn Tyson · Hit 100
Ross Jackson projects the New Orleans Saints' offensive 53-man roster: three quarterbacks with Tyler Shough starting and Spencer Rattler as the backup, four running backs including Alvin Kamara, six wide receivers with Jalen Polk making it, three tight ends, ten offensive linemen with a set starting five, and Charlie Smith at kicker.Grant Chachere · Score Predictions · New Orleans Saints · Close 69
Chachere picks the Saints to beat the Browns 24-10, arguing Cleveland's switch to Shedeur Sanders with Deshaun Watson out tilts the game toward New Orleans.
More surprise team calls
The same kind of call, about other players and teams.
Nick Wright · Surprise Team Calls · Houston Texans · Waiting
Wright expects the 49ers to handle Dallas, the Lions to beat New England, the Packers to beat Minnesota and the Chiefs to win in Atlanta, while naming the Texans again as the league's second-half surge team, picking Joe Burrow for MVP and saying Kansas City still makes the playoffs.Dan Orlovsky · Surprise Team Calls · Houston Texans · Waiting
Named Houston and Detroit as the underrated teams in each conference, said the Texans could reach 11-6 and the playoffs, and predicted CJ Stroud's next contract will start with a seven annually, with Caleb Williams getting even more afterward.Bill Simmons · Surprise Team Calls · Tampa Bay Buccaneers · Waiting
Simmons named the Houston Texans as the AFC's second-half surge team and, reluctantly, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as the NFC's, arguing both clubs sitting at or below.500 will make a run down the stretch.Danny Kelly · Surprise Team Calls · Tampa Bay Buccaneers · Waiting
Kelly argued the Buccaneers are the one NFC South club capable of a second-half surge, citing a soft remaining schedule and the league's top defensive EPA.Logan Lazarczyk · Surprise Team Calls · Houston Texans · Waiting
Lazarczyk argues the Raiders can still contend for the AFC's final wild-card spot, naming the Bills, Broncos, Jaguars, Steelers, Chiefs and Bengals as locks for the top six seeds, calling Houston a sleeper, and predicting Las Vegas can beat the Chargers, Titans and Cardinals down the stretch.Jordan Dajani · Surprise Team Calls · Pittsburgh Steelers · Waiting
Halfway through the season, Dajani sorts the playoff field into contenders and pretenders: they suggest Joe Burrow could win MVP this year, and while they dismiss Pittsburgh as a true Super Bowl threat, they expect the Steelers to be a playoff team and a possible sleeper.