Saints open their 60th NFL season with preseason Week 1 home game vs. Jaguars

The New Orleans Saints will begin their 60th season with a Week 1 matchup against the Jacksonville Jaguars in the 2026 NFL preseason, hosting the Jaguars at Caesars Superdome on Saturday, Aug. 15 at 3:00 p.m. CT. The game marks the first preseason test for both teams as they move from offseason work into the evaluation period that shapes roster decisions and depth-chart roles.

The Jaguars come to New Orleans following a Thursday joint practice, a phase both staffs typically use to compress the learning curve for new scheme elements and to measure how competitive a lineup looks in live, padded conditions. With preseason games functioning as auditions, the short turnaround after a joint practice can also determine which players are most prepared to play at game tempo early in the preseason.

Broadcast coverage for the contest is set to be split between regional television and radio. The television call will be handled by Joel Meyers, Jon Stinchcomb and Terron Armstead on Gray Television network stations, including WVUE-FOX 8 locally. Saints Radio Network coverage will air on the local WWL Radio frequency, with Mike Hoss, Deuce McAllister and Jeff Nowak serving as the broadcast team.

The Saints are also preparing Spanish-language coverage for the matchup. Mario Jerez, Juan Carlos Ramos and Victor Quinonez will present the game on the Tropical Radio network of stations, expanding accessibility for fans who prefer commentary in Spanish. For a preseason opener, those secondary language broadcasts help sustain the franchise’s game-day reach while the teams experiment with lineups.

As with most preseason openers, the practical focus will be less about postseason implications and more about immediate on-field indicators. That includes how quarterbacks and skill players operate during condensed possessions, how offensive and defensive units communicate under live pressure, and how coaching staffs handle substitution patterns that can vary by position group and game plan.

New Orleans will also treat the Jaguars matchup as a starting point within its broader preseason context. The Saints’ own game preview page frames the contest around the series history and key matchup themes, giving fans a baseline for how these two franchises have met in the past and what storylines each team will likely emphasize in this first exhibition game.

The next thing to watch after the opening kickoff is how both teams balance veterans with emerging depth. Preseason Week 1 often functions as a filter, with coaching staffs using the first game to separate who can execute in-game responsibilities from those who need more repetitions. For New Orleans, beginning its 60th season at home adds another layer to the atmosphere, even as the roster-building work remains the primary priority.