New Orleans Saints owner Gayle Benson used Tuesday morning to make two things clear: she wants to help the city heal, and she still sees a future for the team overseas.
At the United Way Resiliency Center, Benson presented a $250,000 donation to The Fourteens Foundation to support a permanent memorial for the victims of the 2025 New Year’s Day Bourbon Street terror attack. The money is intended to help create a dedicated place to honor those who died and to support surviving families.
“I feel like I’m with them. I’m praying for them,” Benson said.
“It was a horrible thing. We’re going to support them.”
The United Way of Southeast Louisiana Resiliency Center serves as a permanent hub for disaster preparedness, response and recovery across Southeast Louisiana.
Benson also spoke about the Saints’ recent trip to France, where New Orleans lost 16-10 to the Pittsburgh Steelers in the NFL’s historic game in Paris. In the wake of that performance, head coach Kellen Moore dismissed offensive run coordinator T.J. Paganetti.
Benson did not address the coaching change directly, but she did offer support for the team as a whole.
“I feel like they’re trying really hard, and I know the players are trying the best they can,” Benson said. “At the end of the season, we’ll look at things and see what we need to change, but right now I think they’re going to be OK. They’re going to try the best they can, and that’s really all they can do.”
She also said she wants the Saints to return to Paris someday and mentioned the possibility of the team playing in Milan, Italy. Any future international appearances, she said, will be up to the NFL.
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