JACKSON: Gayle Benson’s defense of Mickey Loomis is no surprise

By Ross Jackson

Bye weeks are rarely uneventful for the New Orleans Saints, and the 2025 season is no exception. During the bye, Saints’ owner Gayle Benson has made the media rounds visiting with WWL-Radio and now Times-Picayune sports columnist Jeff Duncan. 

During Benson’s conversation with Duncan, the owner was asked about the fan discourse around general manager Mickey Loomis. Many have shared distrust in the long-time Saints executive to lead the team into its new era based on the recent struggles of the franchise. 

However, Benson doesn’t appear to share the same concerns. “It may not be what the fans want to hear,” Benson told Duncan in the exclusive interview. “But as far as firing Mickey Loomis, that’s ridiculous.”

The response shouldn’t be surprising. The idea of moving off of Loomis before giving him a chance to rebuild post-Dennis Allen was always a bit farfetched. With head coach Kellen Moore now in place and the team hoping to find its future quarterback in either rookie Tyler Shough or an upcoming investment, there is opportunity ahead. 

Seizing that opportunity and making good on it, however, may be his last swing for better or for worse. 

If Moore pans out long-term, Loomis could choose to finish his career with the head coach. If the Moore rebuild falters, however, there would then be an open door to shift who is in charge of the operation. But until this attempt as retooling the team factually fails, the Saints won’t be in a hurry. 

If Moore and his leadership brings success back to New Orleans Saints football, the chatter around Loomis will quickly dissipate. But if things go south, the alarms will only ring louder. 

The good news is that the Saints are officially embracing where they are in the NFL life cycle. After years of trying to continue being contenders after having the requisite resources to do so, the words “development” and “rebuild” are starting to find their way into the language of the decision makers. 

“I’m very disappointed, as everybody is, but we’re in a rebuilding mode,” Benson said to Duncan. 

This comes weeks after Loomis described the team’s season as one focused on development. A rebuild has been long overdue in New Orleans, and the Saints have finally gone from saying it with actions to saying it out loud. 

Now, for the sake of all involved, this rebuild must find success. The Saints are set to go a fifth-consecutive season without a playoff appearance, with a sixth potentially in the way in 2026. After that, the tide will have to turn, lest the support may quickly wane.