New Orleans Saints

The New Orleans Saints announced Tuesday that New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell has agreed to a "phased and deliberate pilot approach" to having fans attend games at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome starting this weekend against the Carolina Panthers.

Per that report, "season-ticket holders will have access to 3,000 tickets."

The plan will be to gradually increase attendance in coming weeks, "barring any change in local health and safety guidelines," according to the team:

• 6,000 fans: Nov. 15 vs. San Francisco 49ers and Nov. 22 vs. Atlanta Falcons.
• 15,000 fans: Dec. 20 vs. Kansas City Chiefs and Dec. 25 vs. Minnesota Vikings.

The announcement comes after the Saints were "locked in a public battle with Cantrell for weeks over whether the team should be allowed to fill the Mercedes-Benz Superdome to 25 percent capacity for games, a stalemate that escalated to the point where team officials said they might play in LSU's Tiger Stadium if Cantrell wouldn't relent," per Amie Just and Sam Karlin of NOLA.com. 

It would appear the sides came to something of a compromise, with 15,000 fans representing around 20 percent of the stadium's nearly 75,000-fan capacity. 

It's a far cry from what the team reportedly was hoping for behind closed doors, however, with Just reporting the team had lobbied Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards to have nearly 24,000 fans at home games. Edwards did not agree to the proposal. 

The Saints quickly became the center of a political battle, with Cantrell arguing the police, fire and EMS resources needed during Saints games would require a larger portion of the federal money the state received to help combat the COVID-19 pandemic, especially as the city's normally thriving tourism economy has been hit hard this year. 

"For the city of New Orleans to even host [a football game at 25 percent stadium capacity] on Sept. 27, it kind of goes back to the city of New Orleans needing her fair share of state resources," she said in September. 

The New Orleans Saints will host the Carolina Panthers at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome without fan attendance Sunday, despite the organization lobbying city leadership for limited attendance. 

Mike Triplett of ESPN reported the Saints and NFL have explored the possibility of playing games in Baton Rouge at LSU's outdoor stadium, but that will not happen until November at the earliest. 

New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell has denied pleas from the Saints to allow fan attendance because the Superdome is an enclosed stadium. The spread of COVID-19 is considered much more likely indoors, and cases in the state of Louisiana continue to increase. 

Saints coach Sean Payton has said the team would welcome moving games to Baton Rouge, which is a little more than an hour outside of New Orleans. 

"I welcome it. I don't think there'll be many challenges. I mean, it's right up the road," Payton said. "You'd be playing on grass outside in a great environment. And so if it was playing in the dome with no fans or playing up there with 25,000 of our fans, then every one of us would make the second choice.

"To me, that would be exciting."

The Saints requested to hold games at 25 percent capacity, beginning with Week 5's matchup against the Los Angeles Chargers.

Several NFL teams have played games with limited fan attendance, but those have largely been limited to outdoor facilities or stadiums with retractable roofs. The Saints went on the offensive last week, even using their social media channels to bristle at Cantrell denying the team's request.

New Orleans Saints and New Orleans Pelicans owner Gayle Benson was the victim of an attempted carjacking last weekend.

According to Ramon Antonio Vargas and Amie Just of NOLA.com, police did not identify Benson by name, but Saints and Pelicans spokesperson Greg Bensel confirmed she was involved.

Per the police report, a man entered Benson's vehicle while she was in it but exited the vehicle and drove off in his white Nissan Titan after she screamed at him to get out.

Benson was not injured during the encounter.

In his statement on Benson's behalf, Bensel said: "While she was very shaken at the time, she was unharmed and is doing fine. She wanted to send her sincere gratitude to the men and women of the New Orleans Police Department that responded so quickly and professionally."

The incident is under investigation, and no suspects have been named.

Benson, 73, was the wife of late Saints and Pelicans owner Tom Benson, who died at the age of 90 in 2018. Gayle Benson has been the principal owner of both franchises since Tom's death.

The New Orleans Saints apparently didn't want to worry about a potential grievance with star wide receiver Michael Thomas and the NFL Players Association, so they reportedly only fined him instead of technically suspending him.  

Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reported the news, noting the Saints sent Thomas a letter with the subject line of "Fine for Conduct Detrimental to the Club" that explained a fine of $58,823.53.

It does not mention a suspension for Monday's win over the Los Angeles Chargers.

"It's a strange development, given that the discipline was so widely characterized as a suspension," Florio wrote. "Although on the surface it's a distinction without a difference, the difference between a fine in the amount of one game check and a one-game suspension means that $27.95 million in future guarantees have not been voided."

Florio suggested eliminating those guarantees with a suspension likely would have led to a grievance.

Prior to Monday's game against the Los Angeles Chargers, the Saints announced Thomas was ruled out for team discipline and not because of the ankle injury that had sidelined him since Week 1.

Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reported Thomas punched safety Chauncey Gardner-Johnson during practice, leading to the discipline.

Albert Breer of The MMQB noted they jawed at each other first before Thomas eventually threw the punch while adding the wide receiver's decision not to immediately apologize "may have contributed to the punishment."

Thomas is coming off a dominant 2019 campaign that saw him set the NFL record for the most catches in a season (149) on his way to a league-best 1,725 receiving yards.

Without Thomas on the field, New Orleans defeated the Chargers 30-27 in overtime. Emmanuel Sanders played the role of No. 1 wide receiver with 12 catches for 122 yards.

New Orleans has a bye in Week 6 before its NFC South showdown with the Carolina Panthers in Week 7. The Saints, Panthers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers are tied atop the division at 3-2.  

New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees has purchased a deluxe condo inside the Four Seasons Hotel and Private Residences New Orleans in Louisiana. 

TMZ Sports reported Wednesday that Brees paid "several million dollars" for the unit, which includes views of the Mississippi River and the French Quarter, a golf simulator room, private access to a lounge with a bar and use of the residence's 75-foot outdoor pool.

"When I heard The Four Seasons was coming to New Orleans, I jumped at the opportunity to purchase a condominium," Brees said in a statement. "The Four Seasons is transformative for this city, and I'm excited to be part of it. My family and I will always love New Orleans and be proud to call the Four Seasons home."

The Four Seasons is the "priciest development" in New Orleans history, per TMZ.

Brees signed a two-year, $50 million contract extension with the Saints in March, which will bring his career on-field earnings to $294.7 million by the end of the 2021 season, per Spotrac. That figure doesn't count any money from endorsement deals.

The 41-year-old Purdue product is off to another solid start in his 20th year in the NFL. He's completed 71 percent of his throws for 1,331 yards with nine touchdowns and three interceptions in five games while leading New Orleans to a 3-2 record.

Brees and Co. have a bye in Week 6 before returning to action Oct. 25 against the Carolina Panthers.

The New Orleans Saints have allowed family members to attend a home game this season, but the team is looking into temporarily moving to LSU's Tiger Stadium to allow fans at games. 

Saints spokesman Greg Bensel told reporters Tuesday the team is meeting with LSU officials about playing in Baton Rouge because of New Orleans Mayor Latoya Cantrell's refusal to let fans attend games at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in a limited capacity:

"LSU has been gracious and enthusiastic regarding hosting our future games and we very much appreciate their partnership. We have also discussed the possibility of moving our home games to LSU with the NFL and they are aware of our exploring this option.

"Obviously, our overwhelming preference is to play our games in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome with partial fan attendance but there has been no indication from the city on when, or if, this might be approved."

The Saints were hoping to have fans back at the Superdome for their second home game of the season. They received approval from Louisiana state officials on Sept. 1 for limited-capacity attendance beginning in Week 3 but were waiting on word from city officials. 

"The plan looks great as far as when we're ready for that but we're not there now," Cantrell told Jeff Adelson and Amie Just of NOLA.com.

The Saints announced on Sept. 24 they were permitting 750 family members of players, coaches and staff for their Week 3 game against the Green Bay Packers to serve as a "a strict test of our health and safety protocols that we have been working on with ASM Global, local and national health experts and city and state governmental leadership, including Governor John Bel Edwards and Mayor Latoya Cantrell, both of which are aware and have approved this safety test."

In a letter sent to season ticket holders on Oct. 2, the Saints said they received state approval to have 25 percent capacity at the Superdome for their Week 5 game against the Los Angeles Chargers. 

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell also emailed Cantrell in a plea to get her on board with the team's desire to host fans. There were no fans at the stadium during the Saints' 30-27 overtime win over the Chargers. 

LSU has been hosting fans at Tiger Stadium with a 25 percent capacity limit since the SEC season began in late September.

The Saints have a bye in Week 6 and will play at home against the Carolina Panthers on Oct. 25. 

New Orleans Saints wide receiver Michael Thomas' one-game suspension following a fight with teammate C.J. Gardner-Johnson in practice Saturday was reportedly a result of insubordination toward head coach Sean Payton and the coaching staff.

Jeff Duncan of The Athletic reported Tuesday that Thomas "talked back to coaches, including Payton, and obstinately refused counsel" after the confrontation with Gardner-Johnson, which sparked the team's decision to sit him out of Monday night's win over the Los Angeles Chargers.

New Orleans officially suspended Thomas for "conduct detrimental to the team" related to the incident, per Brett Martel of the Associated Press.

The Saints overcame a 20-3 deficit to score a 30-27 win over the Chargers in overtime. It marked their fourth straight game without quarterback Drew Brees' No. 1 target after he'd missed the previous three games with a high-ankle sprain suffered in Week 1 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

"We had an incident and Sean addressed it and many of the leaders have spoken with Mike as well," Brees told reporters after the victory. "We're going to be all good."

The suspension came after what Duncan described as a "pattern of troubling behavior," which included instances where the wideout "barked at team trainers for failing to tape his ankle properly and accused one administrative staffer of illegally going through his mail."

It's a growing concern for a Saints organization that signed the 27-year-old reigning NFL Offensive Player of the Year to a five-year, $96.25 million contract extension in July 2019.

Thomas set an NFL record with 149 receptions last season to go along with 1,725 yards and nine touchdowns as New Orleans ranked third in scoring offense (28.6 PPG). It's managed to rank sixth in that category this year (30.6 PPG) despite his absence for the last four games.

Running back Alvin Kamara has taken on an even larger role in the passing game, catching 38 passes for 395 yards, while veteran receiver Emmanuel Sanders has tallied 26 receptions for 304 yards.

The Saints have a bye in Week 6, so Thomas' next chance to return will come Oct. 25 when they host the Carolina Panthers.

New Orleans Saints star Michael Thomas will miss Monday's game against the Los Angeles Chargers, the team announced Sunday.

While Thomas has been dealing with an ankle injury that saw him miss Week 4 against the Detroit Lions, the Saints said the wide receiver's designation is not injury-related. Tom Pelissero of NFL Network noted the team said Thomas will miss the game for "disciplinary reasons."

Adam Schefter of ESPN reported Thomas is being disciplined after being involved in an altercation with a teammate over the weekend. Pelissero added Thomas punched teammate Chauncey Gardner-Johnson during a fight at practice.

Albert Breer of the Monday Morning Quarterback provided further details:

The 27-year-old had a record-breaking season in 2019, setting the single-year mark for receptions (149) while leading the league in receiving yards (1,725).

However, his fortunes have taken a turn in 2020, and he suffered a high ankle sprain in the Saints' Week 1 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers that caused him to miss the team's next four games—Monday included.

Thomas' absence raised questions about whether Drew Brees is finally starting to show his age. The 41-year-old missed five games in 2019 but has largely avoided any sort of decline.

Through four games, the veteran quarterback has thrown for 1,006 yards, eight touchdowns and two interceptions, production somewhat below his usual standards. That isn't necessarily surprising when New Orleans has had to count on Alvin Kamara to be its leading receiver without Thomas.

Having the two-time All-Pro out for another game is a big blow for the Saints as they appear destined for a tight battle with the Bucs for the NFC South title.

New Orleans Saints wide receiver Michael Thomas, who has missed his team's last three games with a high-ankle sprain suffered in Week 1 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, has been upgraded from doubtful to questionable on the Saints' injury report in advance of the team's Monday Night Football game against the Los Angeles Chargers.

Per ESPN's Mike Triplett, Saints head coach Sean Payton didn't drop any clues as to whether Thomas will suit up.

"We'll always do what's best for the athlete and be smart regarding any player," Payton told reporters.

Thomas holds the NFL single-season receptions record after hauling in 149 passes for 1,725 yards and nine touchdowns last season. He saw 185 targets, good enough for nearly 12 per game last year.

Thomas is one of the game's best players on the field or in fantasy football, and his return will be welcomed by those who drafted him.

A few questions have risen in regards to Thomas' status for this week, however.

First, it's possible that fans may not know whether Thomas suits up until game day. That's an issue for fantasy, as the Chargers vs. Saints game is the second-to-last game of the week.

In other words, if you want to hold out hope Thomas plays, you need a fallback bench option on the Chargers, Saints, Buffalo Bills or Tennessee Titans (the latter two teams play Tuesday) in case he's ruled out.

The other option is to bench Thomas for one more week and play someone going on Sunday, avoiding the risk of the Saints' No. 1 wideout being declared out.

Presumably, one will have better options to pick from Sunday (in 10 games) than on Monday and Tuesday (for two). 

In other words, the move with the safer floor is simply benching Thomas for one more week (barring any news developments before Sunday at 1 p.m. ET), while the one with the highest upside is starting him and hoping for good news.

Thomas is a WR1 even if he's rusty or limited, simply because he's an elite talent who more often than not stuffs the stat sheet every week.

The verdict here is to roll the dice and hope Thomas plays. In that case, check the waiver wire for any Bills, Titans, Saints and Chargers as a backup plan well in advance, and keep an eye out for any Thomas news.

As Hurricane Delta bears down on the Gulf Coast, the New Orleans Saints will not evacuate to Indianapolis, according to Amie Just of NOLA.com.   

The team will remain in its home market as new forecasts project the storm moving west. Saints officials consulted with the NFL in making the decision.

New Orleans is scheduled to host the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 4 on Monday Night Football. 

According to multiple reports, the NFL was looking at hosting the Saints-Chargers game at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis with the Indianapolis Colts set to face the Cleveland Browns on the road in Week 5. 

"We continue to monitor developments and remain in contact with the two clubs," NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy said in a statement to Joel A. Erickson and Jim Ayello of the Indianapolis Star. "We have built-in contingencies for every game in the event circumstances require a change."

The Saints last used the facilities in Indianapolis due to weather conditions in 2008 when Hurricane Gustav reached New Orleans. 

Hurricane Delta reached Category 4 status Tuesday before it was downgraded to a Category 2 storm as of Wednesday evening.