Not many NFL teams get public comments from their owner after five weeks of a season.
That’s part of what made New Orleans Saints owner Gayle Benson’s recent quote about her team so surprising. It’s just not often that Benson, or most in her position, say such things.
There are definitely a few owners who are active in their commentary, led by Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, but Benson hasn’t fallen into that group as much.
This week, though, Benson generated plenty of chatter in New Orleans.
What Did Gayle Benson Say?
Benson said a couple of strong sentences this week when she was speaking at the Greater New Orleans Quarterback Club on Tuesday:
“Words will not restore our fans’ confidence. Our performance must do that.”
It’s a strong statement, to be sure, and particularly notable given the context in which she said it.
The Saints have begun the season just 1-4.
They lost an overtime heartbreaker to the Lions in Week 1, then upset the Baltimore Ravens in Week 2, seeming to show themselves as a formidable team.
But the Saints have lost three games in a row since then, and it has the fanbase upset and clearly has Benson wanting better out of her organization.
“We are 1-4, and that is not acceptable to me, and falls short of what our fans truly deserve,” Benson also said on Tuesday. “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.”
Kellen Moore, Mickey Loomis Job Security
Fans immediately began to wonder about whether head coach Kellen Moore and general manager Mickey Loomis are safe after those comments.
ESPN’s Ian Rapoport reported this on Sunday:
“A few days after surprising many with pointed comments about the state of the Saints, Benson made an even more surprising appearance at Friday’s practice to embrace coach Kellen Moore and offer an endorsement. Her message, according to those who know: Benson supports Moore and the coaching staff, and the indication is that no change is imminent.”
Rapoport added this:
“Benson’s comments appeared aimed at making sure the fans know she hears them, she knows it must be better, and she is committed to making sure of it. But her very public display of confidence in the coaches Friday was a way of implying she feels this staff can be the ones to do it.”
Moore is in his second season leading the Saints, and he’s paired with second-year QB Tyler Shough. They’re still growing together, at least in concept, and it doesn’t sound like they’ll be rushed too much.
But still, it would probably make everyone with the Saints feel a little better if they began to turn things around sooner rather than later. Keeping the owner happy is never a bad idea.
What Did Gayle Benson Say? How Saints Owner’s Comments Impact Kellen Moore’s Job