Who was the Saints’ breakout player vs. the Falcons?

The New Orleans Saints couldn’t get the job done in Sunday afternoon’s matchup with the rival Atlanta Falcons. It felt like the Saints couldn’t get out of their own way and continued to shoot themselves in the foot, resulting in a 26-24 loss.

This week’s breakout player flashed the potential the Saints have been patiently waiting for. The breakout player for the Saints’ Week 4 loss to the Falcons is DE Payton Turner.

Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

The Saints’ 2021 first-round NFL Draft pick was impressive on Sunday against the banged-up Falcons offensive line. He recorded 1 strip-sack (recovered by ATL), 1 tackle, and 2 stops, earning a 92.8 pass rush grade (90.3 overall) for his performance in Week 4, according to Pro Football Focus.

In 2022, Turner recorded a career-high 2 sacks and 13 pressures. To start 2024, he’s already halfway to matching his career high in sacks, with 4 pressures in just four weeks.

With future Hall of Fame DE and Saints legend Cam Jordan regressing each year, Turner finally figuring things out while staying healthy could provide a significant boost to the team’s pass rush, which has been nearly non-existent in recent years. The team recently declined his fifth-year option, which would have fully guaranteed Turner $13.39 million for the 2025 season. A breakout year would be ideal for both parties and could ultimately prove that he deserves a second contract in New Orleans.