The New Orleans Saints and France just make sense together, and that goes well beyond the fleur de lis logo.
The Saints have held marketing rights for the French market since 2023 and have long been laying the groundwork to appear in what will officially be the NFL's first game in Paris during the 2026 season, news that was announced this week. But the Cajun Cannon Bobby Hebert sees more than just a one-off game in the team's future.
"Come on, you can't get more French than us. ... We deserve to be France's No. 1 NFL team," Hebert said on WWL Radio this week. "You've got the Saints. You've got the fleur-de-lis. I mean, hello."
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There's a lot to contend with to get the first iteration of the game in the books, but after that? The NFL's international efforts are only going to continue. Commissioner Roger Goodell confirmed that the goal is a 16-game international slate with every team getting at least one. Hebert sees the Saints and France as similar to the Jaguars in London, with Jacksonville playing in 14 London games since 2013 and effectively serving as the home team at Wembley Stadium.
The Paris connection will likely benefit the Saints as things go forward, and Hebert urges Saints fans to rally behind the team in that effort.
“You want to be in that number. A lot people say they want to take the wait and see approach, see how good the team is. Well, I say you’ve go to jump on the bandwagon now, you don’t want to be a frontrunner," Hebert said. "You need to be a true member of the Who Dat Nation and support the local team.”