Saints owner Gayle Benson defends GM Mickey Loomis amid firing calls despite being "very disappointed" with the team's results

New Orleans Saints owner Gayle Benson is not set to make any radical changes in the team’s front office despite the struggles this season. The Saints are 2-8 in the first season of Kellen Moore, who was hired by the team's longtime general manager, Mickey Loomis.

There's been an intense call from fans in the last couple of months for Loomis to be fired after a number of seasons of underwhelming performances. However, in a recent interview with the New Orleans Times-Picayune, Benson made it clear that she doesn't buy the idea, defending the GM.

“It may not be what the fans want to hear, but as far as firing Mickey Loomis, that’s ridiculous. He does a great job,” Benson told The Times-Picayune. “You don't think Mickey Loomis is losing sleep at night over all of this? He is. It's hard. It’s not an easy job. “It's not like he’s sitting on his butt, not worrying about things. Mickey is one of the longest-tenured and most respected general managers in the NFL. In 2006, he was the lone voice in our building to hire Sean Payton. When I am asked to hold Mickey Loomis accountable, I do. Not every decision works out, they never do.”

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Mickey Loomis has been with the Saints since 2000, when he was hired by Gayle Benson’s late husband, Tom Benson, as director of football administration. He was promoted to the team's general manager in 2002, and he added the executive vice president role in 2013.

Gayle Benson says the New Orleans Saints are not for sale

In the interview with the New Orleans Times-Picayune, Gayle Benson made it outrightly clear that the New Orleans Saints and the New Orleans Pelicans are not for sale. There's been a lot of speculation over the months about both teams becoming available on the market

“Let me be clear about this,” Benson said. “The teams are not for sale. That’s in capital letters. I want everybody to know the teams are not for sale. I get tired of people asking me [if they’re for sale]. “I’m going to turn 79 in January, but I’m pretty healthy. I hear that people want to talk to me about buying the team. I’m like, well, that’s a waste of my time. That’s not going to happen. And people need to calm down about the team moving.”

Gayle Benson became the principal owner of the Saints and the Pelicans in 2018 following the death of her husband. Tom Benson bought the Saints in 1985, and with her wife's refusal to sell, the NFL team is bound to be under the control of the family for many more years.

Edited by Farouk Yusuf