The New Orleans Saints have stumbled out of the gate this season, dropping three straight games to fall to 1-4. Now, team owner Gayle Benson has made it clear that she’s not happy with the direction of the franchise.
Speaking to the Greater New Orleans Quarterback Club on Tuesday, Benson called the team’s start “not acceptable” and said that Saints fans “deserve better,” putting the coaching staff, the front office, and the players all on notice.
Saints’ Disappointing Start
It’s been a rought start to the season for the Saints as the team is 1-4 and has put themselves in a deep hole just five weeks into the season.
The team opened the season with a 31-30 overtime loss to the Detroit Lions, despite quarterback Tyler Shough leading a comeback from 21 points down. They bounced back with a 24-17 win over the Baltimore Ravens in Week 2, but that remains their only victory of the season.
Since then, it’s been all downhill. New Orleans lost 35-27 to the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 3, then fell 45-24 to the Atlanta Falcons on “Monday Night Football” in Week 4. The loss to the Falcons came on a night meant to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Saints’ return to the Superdome after Hurricane Katrina.
The Saints fell 23-13 to the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday in a game where Drew Brees was inducted into the team’s Ring of Honor at halftime. Shough threw for just 96 yards and two interceptions, and the offense managed only 142 total yards during the night honoring the best quarterback in franchise history.
The struggles aren’t new, either. The Saints are just 7-15 since Kellen Moore took over as head coach before the 2025 season, and the team hasn’t made the playoffs since 2020, the final season of the Sean Payton and Brees era.
‘Not acceptable’
During her speech on Tuesday, Benson said she has heard the frustration from fans “very loudly” during the team’s losing streak and called the results the past few seasons “not acceptable.”
“Our fans invest their time and their hearts in the Saints,” Benson said according to ESPN’s Katherine Terrell. “They are right to expect more than we have delivered.”
Benson said that responsibility starts with her as the owner, but she made it clear that she won’t make excuses or “accept this level of performance as our standard.”
She then went down the line and called out the key people in the building by name, including Moore and general manager Mickey Loomis, who has held that role since 2002.
“Kellen Moore and his coaches are responsible for preparing our players to perform,” Benson said. “Mickey Loomis and our football staff are responsible for building a roster capable of sustained success. Our players are responsible for their preparation and execution.”
Benson specifically called the loss to the Falcons “truly disappointing” given the occasion. As for the Brees ceremony, she said the “best way to honor that legacy is to uphold [his] standards today.”
“Words will not restore our fans’ confidence,” Benson said. “Our performance must do that.”
Clearly, Benson expects to see results, and soon.
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