Saints practicing in Dallas after Hurricane Ida hits New Orleans; NFL monitoring home opener

Displaced by Hurricane Ida, which blew through New Orleans over the weekend, the Saints will spend the next few days in Dallas, practicing at AT&T Stadium.

Coach Sean Payton told reporters Monday that the plan is to practice in Dallas at least until Wednesday and then re-evaluate the situation, according to NFL Network’s Jane Slater.

With the power knocked out for all of New Orleans after Ida devastated the region, the Saints will monitor the situation.

“I honestly think in the next three days that we’ll know what our next step is,” Payton said, per Jeff Duncan of The Times-Picayune. “We’re pretty sure it’s not going to be returning to Metairie anytime soon to start practices. I think that’s unrealistic.”

Payton noted that he’s not aware of any damage to the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans or the team facility in Metairie.

The Saints are scheduled to host the Green Bay Packers to open the season in the late afternoon window (3:45 p.m. local time) on Sunday, Sept. 12. Payton said the team hasn’t heard anything regarding whether the opener could be moved.

“Obviously, we’ll have a Plan B,” he said, per Duncan. “A lot of things from a priority standpoint are more important for our city. We fully anticipate starting the season with Green Bay and the question is where will it be at.”

With 13 days before the opener, the NFL continues to monitor developments from the fallout of Hurricane Ida, NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reported.

The Saints canceled their final preseason game versus the Arizona Cardinals due to the storm, which had been scheduled to take place at the Superdome on Saturday. The club evacuated team personnel and their families to Dallas over the weekend.

Payton noted the difficulty of moving operations, particularly during cutdowns, but added “we’ve done it” before.

For now, the Saints will track the situation in the city and adjust as the week moves forward.

“It’s prayers and safety. It’s all the things that we want for our neighbors, our residents,” Payton said.

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