New Orleans Saints owner Gayle Benson issued her strongest public endorsement yet of general manager Mickey Loomis, calling demands for her to fire the football team’s longtime executive “ridiculous.”
During an exclusive interview with The Times-Picayune on Thursday, Benson strongly backed the Saints’ embattled GM, saying she holds him in “high esteem” and is “pleased” with his work.
“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.”
Loomis has become a lightning rod of fan criticism in the wake of the team’s slow start to the 2025 season. The team’s 1-8 start was the franchise’s worst since 1980. At 2-8, the Saints are tied with the New York Giants for the worst record in the NFC.
The Saints, meanwhile, have lost 21 of their last 26 games, dating to last season, and are on track to miss the playoffs for a fifth consecutive year. It’s the club’s longest postseason drought since the early 2000s.
“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.”
In his 24th season as the club’s top football executive, Loomis, 68, is the longest tenured GM in the NFL. His tenure has included the most successful run in franchise history, including seven NFC South division titles, nine playoff appearances and the club’s only Super Bowl title in 2009.
But the Saints have struggled to replicate the success of the Sean Payton-Drew Brees era. They have not made the playoffs since Brees retired in 2020 and have seen their win totals decrease in each of the last three seasons.
In defending Loomis, Benson listed several highlights of his tenure, including the hiring of Payton, the free agent signing of Brees and the historic NFL draft classes of 2006 and 2017. (The full Q&A will be published at NOLA.com later on Friday morning.)
“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,” Benson said. “When I am asked to hold Mickey Loomis accountable, I do. Not every decision works out, they never do. … I hold him in high esteem, and I am very pleased with what he has accomplished, acquired and is building.”
Benson’s comments came four days after the Saints defeated the Carolina Panthers 17-7 at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina. The win snapped a four-game losing streak and came in rookie Tyler Shough’s second career start at quarterback.
“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. … I understand how fans feel. I really do. And I feel bad for the fans, but we told everybody in the beginning, this was going to be a tough year, and it has been a tough year.”
