Opinion: Mickey Loomis shouldn’t be trusted to hire the Saints’ next head coach

Mickey Loomis got lucky back in 2006, and he’s ridden that win for too long. He can’t be trusted to hire the Saints’ next head coach after Dennis Allen went bust:

Mickey Loomis got lucky back in 2006 when the Green Bay Packers didn’t hire Sean Payton as their head coach, and he’s ridden that win for too long.  Really, he got lucky twice — that same offseason the Miami Dolphins failed a physical for Drew Brees, who signed with the New Orleans Saints instead. That combination established the greatest era in franchise history, winning a Super Bowl together and changing the perception of pro football in New Orleans for a generation.

And Loomis has gotten too much credit for it. When Payton agreed to take the job as his second choice, Loomis was coming off a terrible decision to trade up for Johnathan Sullivan in the 2003 NFL draft, a historic bust at defensive tackle who was off the team and then out of the league in just three years. It’s a mistake he didn’t learn from and repeated with later draft-day gambles on Sedrick Ellis (2008) and Marcus Davenport (2018), among others. It isn’t exaggeration to say Payton and Brees saved his job.

Just look at his record. The Saints have gone 48-61 during his tenure as general manager when Payton wasn’t coaching them (not counting the 2012 season when Loomis and Payton were both suspended). Now look at his peers. The next three longest-tenured GM’s have all seen their teams advance to multiple Super Bowls — Les Snead (107-99-1), Howie Roseman (135-103-1), and John Schneider (144-94-1). Just because Loomis has held his post a long time doesn’t mean he’s the best at his job. His official record is 207-160, including the 2012 season, but as we said many of those wins can be attributed to Payton.

And Payton was one of two head coaches Loomis has hired. The other was Dennis Allen, who failed to sustain the success Payton found and turned into a dead end. That decision wasted everyone’s time during the 2022, 2023, and very likely 2024 seasons, too. Despite his protests that injuries were to blame, team owner Gayle Benson overruled Loomis and finally fired Allen after his 24-46 career record fell to 26-53 this year.

All of this was said to say that Loomis shouldn’t be trusted to hire the Saints’ next head coach after this season. If Darren Rizzi earns the job by winning out and getting to the playoffs, awesome — that would be remarkable. If a candidate familiar with the organization like Aaron Glenn or Joe Brady ends up being the best fit, great. But that shouldn’t be a call Loomis should make. He’s shown before that he’ll take the easy way out and hire someone he knows, like Allen, rather than seriously consider an outside candidate.

Loomis got lucky once and it bought him a lifetime of job security. The last time he was given free reign to hire a coach he set the franchise back for years. Now, with the hope of a clean salary cap ledger on the horizon and the possibility of a reset coming with it, the Saints can’t trust that Loomis will learn from his mistakes and make the right decision. If firing him isn’t an option, and there’s nothing to suggest it is, promote him to a hands-off role in senior leadership and let someone with a fresh perspective (like assistant general manager Khai Harley) take the reins. We’ll just have to wait and see if Gayle Benson agrees.

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Report: Mickey Loomis ‘has a good chance’ to return as Saints GM in 2025

ESPN reports Mickey Loomis ‘has a good chance’ to return as Saints general manager in 2025. He’s already the longest-tenured GM in the league:

Mickey Loomis has just about run out of goodwill with New Orleans Saints fans. Between a playoff drought stretching into its fourth season, a dead-end head coaching hire in Dennis Allen, a series of condescending media appearances, and the decision to move training camp out of state and closed to fans, there haven’t been many moves made by his front office that fans can be proud of.

Plenty of fans have taken to social media calling for Loomis to step down from his post. But it doesn’t sound like that’s in the cards. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports that sources around the league don’t expect big shakeup at the top of the Saints’ organization:

The early belief among league insiders is that Mickey Loomis has a good chance to remain as Saints general manager. That’s not 100%, but that’s what people in the know on these sorts of things are predicting. The Saints have traditionally valued connectivity/familiarity, which could be a factor in the interview process (for a new head coach).

It’s not like the Saints don’t have alternatives in the building. Khai Harley, their salary cap expert and vice president of football operations who owns the assistant GM title, has spent years working under Loomis to get the most out of every dollar. Jeff Ireland, also named an assistant GM and vice president of college personnel, is just one of the former general managers in the front office. The players he’s scouted in the draft have gone on to find pro success (frustratingly, too often after the Saints’ coaching staff failed to help them). Other executives and front office personnel like Michael Parenton, Dave Ziegler, and Randy Mueller either have experience leading an organization or are seen as rising stars who could do so.

The point of all this? If continuity to their success five, ten, or fifteen years ago is so important to the Saints, they can maintain that without stubbornly sticking to Loomis. He’s the longest-tenured general manager in the league but he doesn’t have the recent success to show for it. Ultimately the decision is up to Gayle Benson, who has often deferred to Loomis on football decisions. Things could change over the next month, but as it currently stands we should expect Loomis to continue calling the shots in New Orleans.

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Chiefs GM Brett Veach believes Kansas City is a top destination for players

#Chiefs general manager Brett Veach believes Kansas City is a top destination for players | @EdEastonJr

The Kansas City Chiefs are pursuing the unprecedented third consecutive Super Bowl title this year and have gotten off to a blazing start. The addition of several players throughout the year has raised the team’s profile and chances of accomplishing the feat, thanks mainly to the front office.

Chiefs general manager Brett Veach appeared on the Pat McAfee Show last week. He discussed the growing number of players around the league choosing Kansas City during the current run of success.

“Typically, when you get to different points of this season, whether that be in the offseason or at the trade deadline, I think we do hear a lot of, ‘If everything is equal, he would love to play in Kansas City.'” said Veach. “Listen, I think that playing for Coach Reid and playing with Pat Mahomes, Travis Kelce, and Chris Jones would certainly be a destination for any player that had a chance to potentially move on and go somewhere else.”

The Chiefs added veteran players JuJu Smith-Schuster and Samaje Perine in free agency shortly before the season while trading for DeAndre Hopkins and Joshua Uche. Player injuries and juggling roster spots allowed Veach and his staff to make these additions. The front office has typically made splashes in the draft with homegrown talent but will try to recruit veterans who can financially fit in the budget.

Cordarrelle Patterson’s versatility and work ethic are matched by none

Cordarrelle Patterson’s return highlights his unmatched work ethic and versatility, key traits that make him a standout for the Steelers.

The Pittsburgh Steelers’ gem of the 2024 free agency is, without a doubt, RB Cordarrelle Patterson. While many expected the former All-Pro kick returner to contribute immediately on special teams, his humor, work ethic on and off the field, and willingness to do whatever it takes for his team to win are why he is becoming an all-time favorite in the Steel City.

Patterson recently let Pittsburgh know that, whatever the team needs, he will be there. Fans caught a glimpse of his general manager-like recruiting skills during the lead-up to the trade deadline, but Patterson wants to do even more for the Black and Gold faithful.

Could Steelers fans see the now-healthy Patterson utilized more in the receiving game moving forward? After all, the former WR turned RB has always possessed elite receiving skills in his repertoire.

Patterson will make his long-awaited Steelers return in Week 10 against the Washington Commanders after missing four games with an ankle injury.

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Steelers fans react to D.K. Metcalf trade rumors

Fans of the Black and Gold are in a trade rumor frenzy after Steelers RB Cordarrelle Patterson teased the recruitment of WR D.K Metcalf.

Speculation and trade rumors are beginning to reach an all-time high as the November 5th trade deadline, at 4:00 PM EST, is less than one day away. While the Pittsburgh Steelers have been rumored to pursue any and all available wide receivers, such as Carolina Panthers’ Adam Thielen and New York Jets’ Mike Williams, the most recent and perhaps most exciting rumor involves none other than Seattle Seahawks’ former All-Pro WR D.K. Metcalf.

Fans of the Steel City erupted on social media when Steelers RB Cordarrelle Patterson, who has been actively recruiting several receivers for the team in recent weeks, seemingly began to recruit Metcalf following Seattle’s Week 9 loss.

It was rumored that Seattle could consider moving on from their star WR with a Week 9 defeat, but could Steelers General Manager Omar Khan be the hero of Pittsburgh, and bring this elite talent to the Steel City? Only time will tell, but here are some of the best fan reactions to the speculation and rumors.

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WR’s season-ending injury halted trade to Pittsburgh, per insider

According to insider Adam Schefter, WR Christian Kirk’s season-ending injury halted a probable trade to Pittsburgh.

Steelers fans eagerly awaiting Pittsburgh to make a potential blockbuster trade almost got their wish, according to insider Adam Schefter.

Schefter reported on Saturday afternoon that league sources indicated that, prior to Jacksonville Jaguars WR Christian Kirk’s collarbone injury, the Steelers had a “reasonable chance” of finally pulling off a WR trade.

Kirk has accumulated 5,176 receiving yards and 29 touchdowns in his 93 career games played.

The report from Schefter makes complete sense, as fans were perplexed when WR trades were taking place left and right in the league, yet the Steelers were not among the teams making them. Losing the team’s primary trade target to injury is extremely unfortunate, and it remains to be seen if General Manager Omar Khan can pull off a WR trade before the deadline on November 5th.

Pittsburgh has until Tuesday, November 5th, at 4:00 PM EST to finalize any trades. Will Khan help build an unstoppable receiving corps before the deadline, or will the team continue to rely on WR Calvin Austin III and WR Van Jefferson opposite WR George Pickens?

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Could potential trade target give Pittsburgh three-headed RB monster?

While WR is a big area of concern for Pittsburgh at the trade deadline, the team should inquire about Chicago’s RB Khalil Herbert.

The Steelers’ RB room could go from great, to unstoppable with a potential trade for Chicago Bears RB Khalil Herbert.  Fans of the Steel City understand the team’s identity on offense and what they do well—running the football.  Third-string Steelers’ RB and kick returner, Cordarrelle Patterson, has been injured for the past four Steelers’ contests, forcing the the team to rely on practice squad elevations to alleviate depth concerns.

Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren form one of the most deadly rushing attack tandems in the league today, and a cheap trade for Herbert could make this Steelers offense even deadlier.

As Herbert has been used sparingly by Chicago, he would likely be relatively cheap to acquire. Steelers’ General Manager Omar Khan has a track record of acquiring great talent for far less than their expected market value, and Herbert could be seen as a layup for the Pittsburgh GM.

An acquisition of Herbert takes nothing away from the team’s need for a WR trade at the November 5th deadline, but makes all the difference in adding another dynamic playmaker to the running game.

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Steelers fans react to team’s latest WR trade target, per insider

Insider Tony Pauline stated that Broncos’ WR Courtland Sutton has a 50/50 shot of being traded, and Steelers fans are reasonably skeptical.

Steelers fans, similar to Pittsburgh’s DT Cameron Heyward, seem to be growing tired of the speculation and rumors surrounding their team’s potential trades by the November 5th deadline. 

There was some obvious excitement after the first three trade rumors broke, regarding receivers Brandon Aiyuk, Davante Adams, and Cooper Kupp, but an empty receiver room to show for it has left a lot of resentment in the hearts of the Steel City faithful. 

To throw more gasoline on the proverbial fire, Insider Tony Pauline has referenced that one of the first names mentioned as a Steelers’ trade target almost two months ago, Courtland Sutton, has a ’50-50′ chance of being traded by the Denver Broncos. 

Ultimately, this sent Steelers fans on social media into a craze, begging for General Manager Omar Khan to bring an additional playmaker to Pittsburgh via trade. However, this time around, there seems to be a voice of reason based in reality. Here are some of the best split-reactions from Steelers fans regarding the WR trade rumor. 

 





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Mickey Loomis’ stance on coaching changes hasn’t changed in 20 years

Mickey Loomis’ old quotes from 20 years ago about a head coaching change feel awfully similar to his sentiments about Dennis Allen today:

Mickey Loomis recently clarified to all New Orleans Saints fans that they have to look beyond the results when evaluating Dennis Allen. Well, let’s apply that same premise to Loomis himself.

Loomis said, “I think good organizations do is you look beyond the results. What’s the reason for the results, and how do you fix the reasons that keep you from winning? It’s not always about the head coach. Sometimes it is, but it’s not always about that.”

Hesitancy to look at the head coach is part of Loomis’ process. He did the same thing with Jim Haslett. ESPN’s Katherine Terrell dug up some old quotes from Loomis from an interview in Jan 2004 when asked about potential coaching changes.

At the time, the Saints were .500 in a three year span. Loomis felt firing the coach was the easy route but not the right route. “The right thing to do is to stay the course,” Loomis elaborated. “Often times that is the hardest thing to do. But I think that’s what we need to do.”

Haslett may have earned the benefit of the doubt at the time. He went 10-6 and won the NFC South before struggling the next three years. Allen, on the other hand, hasn’t earned the benefit of the doubt beyond simply being around for years.

Regardless, if we’re looking at the process, this type of statement from Loomis seems on brand. He believed in weathering the storm 20 years ago. Every comment about Allen suggests Loomis feels the same way in the present day.

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Mickey Loomis digs in his heels in support of Dennis Allen

Mickey Loomis doubled down on his support of Dennis Allen, suggesting there’s more to evaluating a coach than all the games he’s lost:

Credit where it’s due: Mickey Loomis joined the Saints Coaches Show on WWL Radio this week for a tough round of questions about the state of the New Orleans Saints. But that’s about all we can say for it. When it came to answering those tough questions, the Saints general manager and top decision-maker doubled down in support of head coach Dennis Allen.

“Everything you said is accurate,” Loomis conceded after being asked about the team’s performance in a four-game losing streak. “Results matter. They do. But I think one of the things that good organizations do, is man, you look beyond the results. What’s the reasons for the result? How do you fix the reasons that keep you from winning?”

Respectfully, you play to win the game. Tossing out a horrible record to shift blame is laughable, but Loomis tried it anyway: “It’s not always about the head coach. Sometimes it is. It’s about a lot of different variables. A lot of things are involved in winning.”

Sure, anyone in his position should take the big-picture view. But at this point we know this story. Coming out of Week 6, Allen has guided the Saints to a 2-4 record twice with a 3-3 peak slotted in-between. His defense has collapsed, again, and he’s having to make another midseason effort to clean up missed tackles and blown coverage assignments. Again.

Look at the facts. Allen has driven the Saints to an 18-22 record since he was hired. They’re 2-9 against opponents with winning records. They’re the only NFL team to outscore their opponents and post a losing record in that span. Of the 13 teams with a positive point differential since Allen was hired, only the Saints haven’t made the playoffs. They’ve tried different quarterbacks, coordinators, position coaches, and play callers, but Allen has been the common factor. At some point Loomis must look at his performance with a critical eye. A more engaged owner would scrutinize Loomis, too.

Loomis acknowledged that’s something he may have to do someday, but not yet: “So we’ll look at that when the time comes. But the time is not right now. We have a lot of games left.”

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