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New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton told reporters today that the team is planning to be away from the city for the first quarter of the season, per Jeff Duncan of The Times-Picayune. This change is due to Hurricane Ida, which didn’t cause any structural damage to the Superdome, but will keep the team away from the city.
The Saints have two home games during their first four matchups, as they start their season with a home game against the Green Bay Packers, then hit the road against the Carolina Panthers, then the New England Patriots. They’re then supposed to finish that stretch back home against the New York Giants.
The Saints are leaning toward staying in the Dallas-Fort Worth area for the next month weeks and practicing at either SMU or TCU Team could possibly play home games at AT&T Stadium. Officials are still working on logistics. A lot of moving parts involved so situation is fluid.
— Jeff Duncan (@JeffDuncan_) August 31, 2021
So it appears their home opener and fourth game of the year will be moved to another location, with one possible spot being where the Dallas Cowboys played until recently building a new stadium, AT&T Stadium in Arlington Texas. If this timetable holds up, the Saints won’t play in the Superdome until Week 8 when they host the Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers October 31st.