New Orleans Saints Prioritize Safety Amid Paris Unrest Ahead of NFL Game

The New Orleans Saints have arrived in France for the NFL's inaugural game in the country, with team officials expressing a strong focus on player and staff safety amidst ongoing unrest in Paris.

The Saints are based on the outskirts of Versailles, approximately 15 miles from the French capital, and are scheduled to play the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis.

While the team's arrival was uneventful and did not involve the street disturbances seen elsewhere in France, the turmoil remains a significant consideration for coaches, players, and staff. "Us as outsiders, we just want to be as safe as possible," tight end Juwan Johnson told NOLA.com. Johnson indicated that even family members accompanying the team are exercising caution, with his wife remaining undecided about attending the game.

Safety Justin Reid stated that players plan to engage in low-key activities as a group and emphasized the importance of staying out of any disturbances. "We want to enjoy being in Paris and seeing things, but I don’t think many of us are very interested in getting into the mix that deeply," Reid said.

Head coach Kellen Moore expressed confidence in the team's awareness, noting, "Our guys are smart. They understand, you know, this is a still a business trip."

The Saints organization has affirmed its commitment to playing the game as scheduled. "We concur with the NFL's statement and are planning to play the game," said Greg Bensel, Saints senior vice president of communications. "In addition to working closely with the NFL, we have also maintained daily security updates with our security partners in France. Members of our football operations staff and internal security team have been on the ground in France for the past few days and there has been no disruption or impact at any of our team sites."