Saints preseason game against Cardinals canceled due to Hurricane Ida

The New Orleans Saints were set to take on the Arizona Cardinals in their third and final preseason game on Saturday. But due to impending weather, the game has officially been canceled.

The organization announced on Friday that after consulting the City of New Orleans officials, the National Weather Service, Homeland Security, Governor Edwards, leading state officials, and the National Football League, the decision was made to cancel the game entirely.

This comes after the game was originally rescheduled for 12 p.m. CT after kickoff was scheduled for 7 p.m. CT.

With Hurricane Ida set to hit the Gulf Coast in the near future, it was decided that the best course of action was to cancel the game for the safety of everyone involved.

The Saints won’t play a third preseason game due to Hurricane Ida

The team released a statement explaining their decision. Below is an excerpt from the statement.

"“Due to the intensification of the hurricane throughout the day and after the most recent tropical update, the team’s leadership has made the decision in the best interests of all personnel that may have been directly and indirectly affected by the storm. The team encourages all residents of the region to take precautionary measures to remain safe throughout the impending hurricane. The Saints will be in communication with season ticket account holders regarding applicable refunds and/or credits to their season ticket accounts.”"

The Saints will finish the preseason with a 1-1 record after losing to the Baltimore Ravens two weeks ago and defeating the Jacksonville Jaguars the following week.

The Cardinals were expected to rest many of their starters in this game regardless, including Kyler Murray, and the Saints were likely to do the same.

New Orleans already reportedly answered one of their biggest questions of the preseason when it was reported on Friday that Jameis Winston had been named the team’s starting quarterback.

Head coach Sean Payton had previously stated that he wanted to make a decision on who the starting quarterback would be prior to the final preseason game, and that’s seemingly what has happened.

In all likelihood, the absence of a final preseason game could be a blessing in disguise for both teams. It prevents the risk of further injuries allowing both squads to go into the regular season at relatively full health.

The Saints will take on the Green Bay Packers on Sept. 12 to kick off their regular season. But as for now, their preseason has come to a premature end.