Saints owner Gayle Benson fires back at fan criticism, says firing GM Mickey Loomis would be 'ridiculous'

The New Orleans Saints are on pace for one of their worst seasons since the turn of the century. At 2-8, they're tied with the New York Giants for the lowest win percentage in the NFC and they will almost certainly miss out on the NFL playoffs for a fifth consecutive season -- the franchise's longest streak without a postseason appearance since 2001-05. 

This time, it doesn't seem as if a coach like Sean Payton and a quarterback like Drew Brees will materialize to save the Saints. Given the continued struggles, general manager Mickey Loomis -- the man responsible for hiring Payton and acquiring Brees almost 20 years ago -- has come under significant fire from the fanbase. 

Owner Gayle Benson still has Loomis' back, though. In a recent interview with the New Orleans Times-Picayune, Benson said the idea of firing Loomis, the team's general manager since 2002, is "ridiculous." 

"It may not be what the fans want to hear, but as far as firing Mickey Loomis, that's ridiculous," Benson said. "(He) does a great job."

New Orleans is on its second full-time coach since Payton departed following the 2021 season. It has just one winning season since. 

Loomis promoted longtime defensive coordinator Dennis Allen to replace Payton. Allen didn't last three full years -- he was fired midway through the 2024 campaign after amassing a 2-7 record in the first nine games. From there, Loomis went outside the organization to replace Allen with Kellen Moore, a former NFL quarterback who spent six seasons as an offensive coordinator for three different teams. 

There is some promise with the 37-year-old Moore, who helped guide the Philadelphia Eagles to victory in Super Bowl 59 while engineering an offense that ranked top-10 in both total yards and scoring. Moore just inherited a Saints roster devoid of top-level talent and filled with veteran players past their prime. 

New Orleans has now lost 21 of its last 26 games, dating back to last season. The potential of a top-five NFL Draft pick is the only silver lining at this point. 

"You don't think Mickey Loomis is losing sleep at night over all of this? He is," Benson said. "It's hard. It's not an easy job. It's not like he's sitting on his butt, not worrying about things."

Should Saints fans trust Loomis to map out the team's future?

The Saints have started to amass capital with an eye toward the future. On the day of the NFL trade deadline, they dealt wide receiver Rashid Shaheed to the Seattle Seahawks and offensive lineman Trevor Penning to the Los Angeles Chargers in exchange for future picks. 

Trusting in Loomis' draft strategy may be a big ask. Since a 2017 class that saw New Orleans add multiple All-Pro-caliber talents, including running back Alvin Kamara, offensive lineman Ryan Ramczyk and edge rusher Trey Hendrickson, the Saints have made some questionable selections. 

Their first-round prospects from 2018-19 -- pass rushers Marcus Davenport and Payton Turner -- are no longer on the roster. Davenport has played just six NFL games over the last three seasons and Turner has been on injured reserve more than he's been on an active roster. 

Penning, a 2022 first-round pick, also struggled to stay on the field, and the Saints only got a seventh-round pick in their trade with the Chargers. Defensive end Isaiah Foskey, whom New Orleans selected 40th overall in the 2023 NFL Draft, was waived in August before making it three full seasons into his rookie contract. 

There have been a few successes over the last eight draft cycles. Several rookies from the 2025 class have already made a big impact, including new starting quarterback Tyler Shough and offensive lineman Kelvin Banks, who looks like a solid foundational piece at tackle. As does Taliese Fuaga, a 2023 first-rounder in his second year as a starting offensive tackle. 

Chris Olave, a 2022 first-round pick at wide receiver, appears to be healthy after suffering a litany of concussions and is on track for his best year as a professional. Those are some of the young pieces New Orleans can build around. 

After all, if the Saints want to improve, they'll likely have to do it through the draft. New Orleans -- and Loomis -- were notorious for years for circumventing the NFL's salary cap, but that bubble has burst. 

The franchise is below the cap in 2025 but, as things stand, they'll be around $12 million over in 2026. That includes north of $60 million in dead money, second-most among NFL organizations, according to Over The Cap. 

New Orleans does have seven picks in the first five rounds of the 2026 draft. 

 "I'm very disappointed, as everybody is. But we're in a rebuilding mode," Benson said. "Mickey said this from the very beginning of the season. But, look, I understand how fans feel. I really do. And I feel bad for the fans, but we told everybody in the beginning, this was gonna be a tough year, and it has been a tough year. 

"They just need to be patient. And I know it's hard to ask them to be patient, but all of us are disappointed."