It’s rare for Gayle Benson to publicly criticize her team’s performance, but that’s just what the New Orleans Saints owner did. Staring at a 1-4 start to their 2026 season and three consecutive losses at home, Benson didn't mince words when speaking at the Greater New Orleans Quarterback Club on Tuesday.
"Before I reflect on our sixtieth season, I want to address where we stand," Benson began, reading a prepared statement. "We are one-and-four and that is not acceptable to me. And falls short of what our fans truly deserve. I hear the frustration toward our team and our organization. It is not lost on me. Our fans invest their time, their money, and their hearts in the Saints. They are right to expect more than we have delivered.
"As an owner,
the responsibility does start with me. I will not make excuses and I will not accept this level of performance as our standard. I am committed to making the decisions necessary to improve this team. Everyone in this organization understands the urgency. We must prepare better, execute consistently, and correct the mistakes that are costing us the games. Words will not restore our fans' confidence. Our performance must do that."
Benson noted the importance of sixty years of Saints football in New Orleans, noting how generations of fans have planned their Sundays around the team’s schedule while making communal memories together. Everyone remembers where they were when Steve Gleason blocked that punt, when Sean Payton lifted the Lombardi Trophy after winning Super Bowl XLIV, and when Drew Brees broke record after record. She added that that "Losing this year's anniversary game to Atlanta was truly disappointing." Recognizing Brees in the team's exclusive Ring of Honor, months after he was inducted to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, only to lose again reinforced how far they've fallen from that standard. And she knows exactly whose hands are dirty.
"The best way to honor that legacy is to uphold those standards today," Benson continued. "Kellen Moore and his coaches are responsible for preparing our players to perform. 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. I am responsible for this organization. There's a great deal of football ahead of us, but our response must show up on the field."
That isn’t too far off from putting Moore and Loomis on the hot seat. It’s at least notifying both of them that this losing streak cannot continue. With a high-profile matchup in Paris waiting in two weeks, they had better not embarrass her on an international stage.
"We cannot change the results of our first five games. We are responsible for what we do next. I expect better. Our fans deserve better and I am determined to see that we do it. Thank you all for your attention," Benson finished.
She’s saying the right things. Let’s see if words turn to actions — either by Moore and Loomis fielding a better team and winning more games, or by Benson dismissing one or both of them if the losses continue.
This article originally appeared on Saints Wire: Saints owner Gayle Benson puts Kellen Moore, Mickey Loomis on hot seat
