There is no question that the New Orleans Saints will be one of the most talked about teams throughout the course of the 2012 NFL season because of the offseason rulings that will leave them without a head coach, and key defensive players.
The Bounty Scandal heard around the world.
And a team that no doubt was going to enter this season as one of the top favorites, now has some serious questions that they will need to answer.
That will start in the preseason, as the Saints open up the 2012 NFL schedule for the preseason in the Hall of Fame game against the Arizona Cardinals. This tradition caps off a week of fun and remembrance, as great players from years past are inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame.
But for New Orleans and Arizona, it’s all about business, and getting their preseason started off on the right foot in preparation for making a run at the Super Bowl. The Saints want to be the first team to ever play in a Super Bowl in their home stadium, with the Superdome hosting the big game this season.
That will begin with Drew Brees. Saints fans everywhere were on the edge of their seats waiting for his offseason deal to be completed, which was finally signed a few weeks ago. It’s only the richest contract in NFL history, no big deal. Of course, Brees blazed through one of the all time great records last year when he surpassed Dan Marino’s single season passing yards mark. A record that had stood since 1984.
For the Cardinals, it starts with the quarterback as well, but for a much different reason. Despite signing Kevin Kolb to a big contract, the Cardinals quarterback situation is definitely not as solidified as they would like it to be.
But that is what the off season camps that just started, and of course the preseason games are for.
The Cardinals might just have the best cornerback in the league in second-year player Patrick Peterson, who proved to be well worth the high draft selection in the first round, having a stellar rookie season.
The 2012 Hall Of Fame Game will take place on Sunday, August 5 at 8 pm ET on the NFL Network, as the excitement builds for the new NFL year.
We will probably only see the starters for both teams play a few series or at the most one quarter as they ease into the exhibition season. But, we can all get excited that football is just around the corner, with no strike to worry about.