Saints Players Sent Home as Hurricane Francine Approaches Landfall

METAIRIE, La. - As Hurricane Francine rapidly approaches the Louisiana coast, the New Orleans Saints have taken precautions and sent their players home on Wednesday afternoon. In response to worsening weather conditions caused by the storm, city officials advised all residents to stay off the roads by midafternoon.

By 2 p.m. local time, the Saints' players' parking lot at the team facility was nearly empty, with rain steadily falling. However, the coaching staff, led by Saints coach Dennis Allen, has decided to stay at the facility overnight, hoping to resume normal practice on Thursday.

"We'll stay here this evening. We'll probably find a corner of the room to lay down in at some point in time and get a little bit of sleep," Allen said. "Because I think the most significant weather is gonna be this evening into the early morning hours. That's kind of when we would be trying to wrap up. I don't see anyone trying to get out of here in that type of weather."

Hurricane Francine is projected to make landfall in Morgan City, Louisiana, approximately 85 miles outside of New Orleans, on Wednesday evening. It is expected to be a Category 1 storm with sustained winds of 90 mph upon landfall.

Despite the looming threat of the hurricane, the Saints are currently preparing to face the Dallas Cowboys in Texas on Sunday. Linebacker Demario Davis shared that the team has come together to pray for the safety of those in the storm's path.

"We were praying not just over ourselves, but our city and the surrounding areas through this storm," Davis said. "When you think about storms that continuously hit this area, it becomes kind of like a Sunday, where you can have all the predictions in the world but it's still unknown as to what's going to take place."

The Saints' decision to remain in New Orleans during the storm follows a similar plan to when Hurricane Zeta struck in 2020. The coaches will continue their work using generator power at the team facility, while the players have been advised to stay safely at home.

This marks the second time the Saints have chosen not to evacuate for a major storm. Last year, ahead of Hurricane Ida's arrival, the team relocated their operations to Texas for both the preseason and the beginning of the regular season. Their home opener against the Green Bay Packers was also moved to Jacksonville, Florida.

Head coach Dennis Allen emphasized that the decision to evacuate or not depended on various factors and was made with the safety of everyone involved in mind.

"There's a lot of things that you take into consideration when you're doing this," Allen explained. "We felt like, obviously in this situation, we felt like we were going to be able to do our work and make sure we keep everybody safe, make sure that everybody's family is safe. And be able to do that and stay here."

New Orleans has not issued a mandatory or voluntary evacuation order for this storm. Allen stated that the team assessed the situation and believed they could manage their work effectively, avoiding the need for evacuation.

While some players, like quarterback Derek Carr, have experienced hurricanes before, this is the first encounter with such a storm for many on the team, especially in New Orleans.

"We also understand that we do have a job to do, even when circumstances aren't perfect. We still have to focus," Carr said. "I'll be home studying tonight, but I'll be doing it with all my kids sitting right next to me because this is their first time going through something like this."

As the city braces for the impact of Hurricane Francine, the Saints remain hopeful for a safe outcome for all. Their thoughts and prayers go out to the people in the path of the storm, and they are committed to fulfilling their responsibilities as both professional athletes and members of the New Orleans community.