The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. They compete in the NFL as part of the NFC South division. Established on November 1, 1966, by John W. Mecom Jr., David Dixon, and the city of New Orleans, the Saints joined the NFL as an expansion team in 1967. Their home games have been played at the Caesars Superdome since 1975, after initially playing at Tulane Stadium.
In 2002, the Saints introduced a 1967-style throwback uniform, complete with an accurate 1967-era helmet.
Jim Taylor was a color commentator in 1967.
Since the Saints joined the league in 1967, the Saints and Atlanta Falcons have played each other twice a season.
Since the club debuted in 1967, the Saints' logo and uniforms have remained basically the same, featuring a fleur-de-lis logo and gold helmets, gold pants, and black or white jerseys.
The Saints introduced a 1967-style throwback uniform.
The Saints predominantly wore white at home at Tulane Stadium from 1967 through 1974 (except in 1969 and 1970), forcing opponents to suffer in their darker jerseys in the subtropical climate of New Orleans.
In 1968, Hank Stram introduced red pants to the Kansas City Chiefs' uniforms, which later influenced his decision to have the Saints wear black pants with their white jerseys.
In 1969, the Saints wore black helmets during the preseason, but NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle banned their use during the regular season because the league office was not notified of the change.
The Saints predominantly wore white at home at Tulane Stadium from 1967 through 1974 (except in 1969 and 1970), forcing opponents to suffer in their darker jerseys in the subtropical climate of New Orleans.
Tom Fears participated in the 1970 Pro Bowl due to his performance in the 1969 season.
In 1970, Tom Fears participated in the Pro Bowl.
The Saints predominantly wore white at home at Tulane Stadium from 1967 through 1974 (except in 1969 and 1970), forcing opponents to suffer in their darker jerseys in the subtropical climate of New Orleans.
Archie Manning was a color commentator from 1971 to 1982.
In Archie Manning's first game, during the 1971 season opener against the Los Angeles Rams, field temperatures at Tulane Stadium reached as high as 130 °F (54 °C). The Saints won 24-20.
The Saints predominantly wore white at home at Tulane Stadium from 1967 through 1974 (except in 1969 and 1970), forcing opponents to suffer in their darker jerseys in the subtropical climate of New Orleans.
In 1975, the Saints switched to wearing white pants, coinciding with the move from Tulane Stadium to the Superdome.
In 2016, when the Saints introduced the Color Rush uniform, the white pants were inspired by the 1975–85 look.
On October 3, 1976, in a home game against the Houston Oilers, coach Hank Stram used the Saints' road uniforms, the white jerseys and black pants, and the Saints lost the game 31–26.
Between 1977 and 2001, the Saints and Tampa Bay Buccaneers played each other quite often as non-division rivals.
In 1977, Tampa Bay's first win in franchise history came against New Orleans.
Until 1979, the Saints' striping pattern on their uniforms was similar to that used by the Washington Redskins.
Stan Brock was a color commentator from 1980 to 1991.
Between 1981 and 1992, the Saints and Tampa Bay Buccaneers played each other as non-division rivals.
During the 1981 season, the team wore white jerseys with black pants at home under coach Bum Phillips.
Jim Henderson served as a color commentator from 1981 to 1985.
In 1983, the Saints reverted to wearing black jerseys and white pants.
In 2023, the plain white pants were paired with the black uniform against the Carolina Panthers, a look last seen in the 1985 season.
Jim Henderson served as a color commentator from 1981 to 1985.
In 1986, under new coach Jim E. Mora, the Saints reverted to wearing gold pants with both their black and white jerseys and introduced a new logo featuring a fleur-de-lis inside an outline of Louisiana.
Jim Henderson was the play-by-play announcer for Saints radio broadcasts from 1986 to 1989.
From 1987 to 2021, the Saints cheerleading squad was known as the Saintsations.
Jim Henderson was the play-by-play announcer for Saints radio broadcasts from 1986 to 1989.
In 1991, Jan Stenerud was inducted into the Hall of Fame and was the first full-time placekicker.
Between 1981 and 1992, the Saints and Tampa Bay Buccaneers played each other as non-division rivals.
Dave Garrett was the play-by-play announcer in 1992.
Jim Henderson was the play-by-play announcer for Saints radio broadcasts continuously from 1993 to 2017.
In 1995, the Saints and the Carolina Panthers have been division rivals since Carolina joined the league as an expansion franchise, first in the NFC West.
Through 1995, the sleeves of the jerseys and sides of the pants featured a logo with a fleur-de-lis inside an outline of the state of Louisiana.
From 1996, the Saints returned to using gold numbers on both their white and black jerseys.
In 1996, Carolina's 19–7 home victory sparked Saints head coach Jim Mora's infamous "Diddley Poo" rant and resignation.
In 1996, the Saints removed the Louisiana state outline logo and replaced it with a fleur-de-lis on both the sleeves and sides of the pants.
Until 1997, the Saints' striping pattern on their uniforms was similar to that used by the Green Bay Packers.
Until 1998, the Saints used gold numbers on both their white and black jerseys.
In 1999, complaints about the gold numbers being difficult to read on the white jerseys led to a change to black numbers. The Saints also wore black pants with a wide gold stripe with their white jerseys.
In 2000, the Saints won their first playoff game, defeating the St. Louis Rams 31-28 while wearing their white jerseys. Az-Zahir Hakim of the Rams fumbled a punt late in the game, which Brian Milne recovered to secure the victory.
Prior to a 2013 game, the Saints under Sean Peyton had been winless in Chicago's Soldier Field and had not won in the Windy City since 2000.
This entry refers to the years 2000-2006.
Between 1977 and 2001, the Saints and Tampa Bay Buccaneers played each other quite often as non-division rivals.
In 2001, the Saints wore white jerseys in their first six home games and primarily used black pants with both white and black jerseys. They became the first NFL team to wear all-black uniforms in a Week 5 road game against the Carolina Panthers.
On December 1, 2002, the Saints introduced a 1967-style throwback uniform in a 23–20 win against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
On December 15, 2002, the Saints introduced a gold alternate jersey (worn with black pants) in a game against the Minnesota Vikings, which they lost 32–31. The Vikings wore their purple home jerseys as the "dark" colored team.
Ever since the early 2000s, the Saints have had a developing rivalry with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who have been part of the NFC South with the Saints since 2002.
In 2002, the Atlanta Falcons and the Saints were rivals of the NFC West until the league's realignment.
In 2002, the New Orleans Saints played in the NFC West Division until the league's realignment.
In 2002, the Saints and the Carolina Panthers have been division rivals since Carolina joined the league as an expansion franchise then in the NFC South.
In 2002, the Saints wore black pants with white jerseys and gold pants with black jerseys. They also introduced a gold alternate jersey and a 1967-style throwback uniform with a darker shade of gold and grey facemasks.
In the 2002 season finale, Carolina's 10–6 win at the Superdome knocked the Saints out of the playoffs.
The scheduling formulas in place prior to 2002, the Saints and Tampa Bay Buccaneers played each other as non-division rivals.
From 2003, the New England Patriots had a bright metallic silver alternate jersey that they used as a "light" jersey, which forced their opponents to wear their colored "dark" jerseys.
In 2005, Az-Zahir Hakim, who fumbled the punt in the 2000 playoff game against the Saints, played one season for the Saints.
In 2005, Hurricane Katrina led to the postponement of the induction ceremonies, which were rescheduled to October 27, 2006.
In 2005, in the face of Hurricane Katrina, the Saints won an emotional season opener against Carolina 23–20.
Due to Hurricane Katrina, the 2005 induction ceremonies were postponed to October 27, 2006.
Beginning in Week 13 of the 2006 season, the Saints wore black pants with the black jerseys against the San Francisco 49ers, restoring them after a four-season absence. In a Week 16 game against the New York Giants, they wore black pants with their road white jerseys and continued using them in the playoffs.
In 2006, the Saints originally planned to wear white jerseys at home, but players voted to switch to black after the second game. Some opponents (Atlanta Falcons, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and Cincinnati Bengals) did not agree to the switch, forcing the Saints to wear white for those games.
In 2006, to honor their return to Louisiana, the Saints wore a patch on their uniforms with an outline of the State of Louisiana with a fleur-de-lis superimposed.
Sean Payton participated in the 2007 Pro Bowl due to his performance in the 2006 season.
This entry refers to the years 2000-2006.
In 2007, Sean Payton participated in the Pro Bowl.
Through 2007, the New England Patriots had a bright metallic silver alternate jersey that they used as a "light" jersey, which forced their opponents to wear their colored "dark" jerseys.
Carolina defeated New Orleans on the road every year from 2002 to 2008, a streak of seven seasons.
In mid-2008, a consortium led by Saints owner Tom Benson owned WVUE.
Since 2008, the Saints have worn white jerseys at home for preseason and early regular-season home games.
In 2009, the Saints wore the black pants only once, beating St. Louis 28–23. They wore the white jerseys/gold pants combination during the Super Bowl XLIV victory over the Indianapolis Colts.
On Sunday, August 8, 2010, NBC announced that Taylor Swift and Dave Matthews Band would perform at the televised opening festivities of the evening.
On Thursday, September 9, 2010, the Saints, as defending Super Bowl champions, defeated the Minnesota Vikings 14–9 in the Superdome, in a rematch of the 2009 NFC Championship Game. The game was televised on NBC, marking the first time the Saints opened the NFL season at home.
On December 27, 2010, the Saints clinched a playoff appearance (wild card) with a 17–14 win against the Atlanta Falcons in Atlanta. This marked the first time a team in the NFC South had made back-to-back playoff appearances since the division was formed in 2002.
In 2010, Rickey Jackson was selected to the Hall of Fame, being the first player who earned his credentials primarily as a New Orleans Saint.
On September 25, 2011, the Saints wore the 1967-style throwback uniform again in a 40–33 win against the Houston Texans.
On November 6, 2011, the Saints wore the 1967-style throwback uniform against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, winning 27–16.
Despite an 0-2 start to the season, the Saints proceeded to win their next 8 games en route to an 11–5 finish, winning their first NFC South title since 2011.
In 2011, the Saints won the NFC South title on December 26 and finished the season as the third seed in the NFC with a 13–3 record. The team broke numerous records that year, including most yards in a season, completion percentage, yards passing, and completions. Darren Sproles also set the record for most all-purpose yards in a single season.
In 2012, Gregg Williams, the Saints' controversial defensive coordinator, joined the Los Angeles Rams shortly before the Bountygate Scandal implication.
In 2012, Willie Roaf became the second Saint to earn his Hall of Fame credentials mostly while playing in New Orleans.
In 2012, the Saints wore black pants 12 times.
On October 9, 2013, the Saints announced the creation of a Ring of Honor to commemorate former players, administrators, and individuals with significant contributions to the franchise.
On November 10, 2013, Archie Manning, Rickey Jackson, and Willie Roaf were officially inducted into the Saints' Ring of Honor during halftime of the game against the Dallas Cowboys.
In 2013, gold pants were used only 7 times, including the playoffs.
In 2013, the NFL enforced its "one-helmet rule".
In the 2013 season, the Saints finished with an 11–5 record, earning a wild card berth as the sixth seed in the NFC. They went undefeated at home for the second straight season under Sean Payton but struggled on the road.
On January 4, 2014, the Saints secured their first road playoff victory in franchise history, defeating the Philadelphia Eagles 26–24.
In 2014, the Saints wore black pants 12 times and wore gold pants 4 times.
In their last game of the 2014 NFL season, a fight broke out between players after a Cam Newton touchdown, with the Panthers winning 41–10 due to early turnovers by the Saints.
The Saints concluded the 2014 season with a 7–9 record, finishing second in their division. They failed to reach the playoffs, and the season was marked by the league's 31st worst-ranked defense.
Until 2014, the Saints' striping pattern on their uniforms was similar to that used by the Cleveland Browns.
After 2015, the Saints only wore gold pants sporadically in the regular season.
Beginning in the 2015 season, Raycom Sports took over the production of preseason telecasts under a new multi-year deal.
In the 2015 season, the Saints finished with a 7–9 record for the second consecutive year. Their defense struggled significantly, allowing the most passing touchdowns in a season in NFL history with 45.
Hokie Gajan, former Saints running back and color commentator, died from liposarcoma on April 11, 2016.
On December 4, 2016, the Saints wore the 1967-style throwback uniform in a 28–13 loss to the Detroit Lions, commemorating the franchise's 50th season.
Prior to the 2016 season, the NFL introduced the Color Rush program, and the Saints' version featured white jersey tops with old gold numbers, black trim, gold and black sleeve stripes, white pants inspired by the 1975–85 look, and all-white socks.
In 2017, Morten Andersen was selected to the Hall of Fame, becoming the third former player inducted primarily for his accomplishments in New Orleans.
In 2017, WVUE was sold to Raycom Media.
Jim Henderson was the play-by-play announcer for Saints radio broadcasts continuously from 1993 to 2017.
Sean Payton participated in the 2018 Pro Bowl due to his performance in the 2017 season.
On January 7, 2018, the Saints and Panthers met in the NFL playoffs for the first time, with the Saints winning 31–26.
On February 16, 2018, Tom Benson was hospitalized before passing away on March 15, 2018.
On March 15, 2018, the Saints' owner Tom Benson passed away from the flu at the age of 90. His wife, Gayle Benson, succeeded him as the owner of the Saints and the NBA's New Orleans Pelicans.
During the 2018 NFC Championship Game, a critical pass to Saints' receiver Tommylee Lewis was illegally broken up by Rams' cornerback Nickell Robey-Coleman with no penalty flag thrown, leading to controversy.
In 2018, Sean Payton participated in the Pro Bowl.
In 2018, Zach Strief replaced Jim Henderson as the play-by-play announcer.
In 2018, the Saints were forced to wear the white Color Rush uniforms at home against the Philadelphia Eagles after coach Sean Payton lost a bet.
In the 2018 season, the Saints concluded with a 13–3 record, securing the NFC South title. They lost to the Los Angeles Rams in overtime during the NFC Championship game, which featured a controversial ending.
In 2019, the Saints unveiled an all-white uniform variation and went undefeated (8–0) wearing either all-white uniform during the regular season. They wore the new look in a Wild Card Round game against the Minnesota Vikings, losing in overtime 26–20.
In the 2019 season, the Saints finished with a 13–3 record and won the NFC South. They lost to the Minnesota Vikings in overtime during the Wild Card Round.
In the 2020 season, the Saints won the NFC South with a 12–4 record. They lost to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the Divisional Round, marking Drew Brees's final game.
On January 17, 2021, the Saints faced the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the playoffs for the first time, losing 30–20 despite winning both regular season meetings.
In 2021, the Saints cheerleading squad changed its name to the Saints Cheer Krewe, formerly known as the Saintsations.
In the 2021 season, following Drew Brees's retirement and a season with multiple starting quarterbacks, the Saints finished 9–8 and did not make the postseason.
In the spring of 2021, Mike Hoss became the play-by-play announcer for the Saints' flagship station WWL, succeeding Zach Strief, who joined the Saints' coaching staff.
On January 25, 2022, Sean Payton announced his departure as head coach after 15 seasons with the team, during which the Saints achieved a 152–89 regular-season record.
On February 8, 2022, the Saints promoted their defensive coordinator, Dennis Allen, to the position of head coach.
On October 2, 2022, the Saints' alternate black helmet, featuring a gold fleur-de-lis on each side, made its debut in an NFL London Game against the Minnesota Vikings at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
On November 14, 2022, after a 3–7 start, disappointed Saints fans started a petition on Change.org requesting that Dennis Allen be relieved of his duties as head coach.
On November 21, 2022, the Saints brought back the 1967-style throwback uniform against the Los Angeles Rams.
On December 24, 2022, the Saints wore another variation of the all-white uniform with black socks at the Cleveland Browns.
Black helmets were finally introduced for the Saints in 2022, after the NFL repealed its "one-helmet rule" previously enforced in 2013.
In 2022, Sam Mills became the 4th former player inducted primarily for his accomplishments in New Orleans.
On January 8, 2023, the plain white pants were paired with the black uniform against the Carolina Panthers, a look last seen in the 1985 season.
As of the 2023 season, the Saints lead the all-time series against the Panthers 31–28.
During the 2023 season, the Saints brought in Derek Carr as quarterback but ultimately finished with a 9–8 record, missing the playoffs for the third consecutive season.
Dennis Allen was fired on November 4, 2024, after a 23–22 loss to the Carolina Panthers, leaving the Saints with a 2–7 start to the season.
As of the 2024 season, the Minnesota Vikings lead the overall series against the New Orleans Saints 25–13, including a 4–1 record in the playoffs.
As of the 2024 season, the Saints and Atlanta Falcons are tied at 56–56.
As of the 2024 season, the Saints and Rams are tied 1-1 in the postseason, but the Los Angeles Rams lead the all-time series 45-35 against the New Orleans Saints.
Taylor Swift is a highly successful American singer-songwriter celebrated for...
Patrick Sean Payton is a highly accomplished American football coach...
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based...
The Super Bowl is the annual championship game of the...
Cam Newton is a former American football quarterback most notably...
Football is a family of team sports centered around kicking...
27 minutes ago Lionel Messi meets Lionel Richie, his namesake, in a heartwarming encounter for fans.
27 minutes ago Mario Vargas Llosa, Literary Giant and Nobel Laureate, Passes Away at 89
27 minutes ago Oklahoma City Bombing: Remembering the tragedy and its impact 30 years later.
28 minutes ago Ryan Seacrest's Dramatic Fall on Wheel of Fortune Stage: Vanna White Reacts
28 minutes ago Stella Hudgens, Vanessa's Sister, Flaunts Curves in Blue Bikini, Soaking Up the Sun.
28 minutes ago Amaarae's New Album: Exploring Anticipated Sounds, Themes, and Collaborations in Her Upcoming Release
Doug Ford is a Canadian politician and businessman currently serving...
Peter Navarro is an American economist and author known for...
Justin Trudeau served as the rd Prime Minister of Canada...
The Real ID Act of is a US federal law...
Donald John Trump is an American politician media personality and...
Michael Jordan also known as MJ is a celebrated American...