Vive la France!

The NFL’s efforts to play a 2026 regular season game in Paris could be alive again. And the New Orleans Saints are involved.

As recently as last month, it appeared the game would be pushed to 2027 so French officials would have more time to meet NFL demands at Stade de France, where the game will be played. But in recent weeks, the game has gained momentum for the NFL’s 2026 International Series.

One person familiar with the situation said, “It went from dead to ‘maybe we can pull this off.’”

The NFL is expected to announce its International Series next week, perhaps as early as Monday at Roger Goodell’s state of the league press conference. We could learn then that the Saints’ 2026 schedule will include a regular season game in Paris.

One of the teams mentioned as the Saints’ opponent is Cleveland, which would feature a potential quarterback matchup of Shedeur Sanders and Tyler Shough.

The NFL and Saints owner Gayle Benson league are excited about playing a game in Paris and introduce the NFL product to one of the world’s great global cities, so it wouldn’t be a surprise if the deal gets worked out, as Saints president Dennis Lauscha forecast last year.

A potential Saints game in Paris isn’t the only Saints-related news to track at Super Bowl LX. A look at the week ahead and what I’m hearing:

Assessing Drew Brees’ Hall of Fame chances

We’ll learn the fate of former Saints Drew Brees and Jahri Evans and New Orleans natives Eli Manning and Reggie Wayne on Thursday, when the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Class of 2026 is announced at the NFL Honors show.

As the New Orleans representative on the selection committee, I delivered the presentation at the Hall’s annual meeting on Jan. 13. Brees’ candidacy is so strong, I probably didn’t need the full five minutes to present his case, but I felt it was important to recognize and honor his extraordinary career, so I maxed out the time limit.

As we’ve learned this week, nothing is guaranteed when it comes to Hall of Fame selections. Brees obviously deserves induction, and I expect him to get in, but only Hall officials know the answer because the ballot is kept secret. Selectors are not apprised of the inductees, so we’ll find out when everyone else does on Thursday.

My somewhat-educated guess is Brees becomes the first Saints player to earn induction on his first ballot and that he is joined by Larry Fitzgerald and second-year candidates Luke Kuechly and Adam Vinatieri. The fifth modern-day spot is wide open, but I’ll be surprised if those four players are not part of the Class of 2026 along with senior candidates Roger Craig and Ken Anderson.

It looks like another year of waiting for Evans, Manning and Wayne. And it doesn’t get any easier next year, when Antonio Brown, Adrian Peterson, Ben Roethlisberger, Richard Sherman and Andrew Whitworth become eligible.

Doping the Rookie of the Year races

As a finalist for the NFL’s Offensive Rookie of the Year award, Tyler Shough will be in the audience at the Palace of Fine Arts for NFL Honors Thursday, but his chances of become the fifth Saint to win the award are remote.

While I strongly believe Shough deserves it, Panthers receiver Tetairoa McMillan is considered the heavy favorite to garner the honor.

In the minds of voters, Shough’s limited nine-game body of work hindered his candidacy. McMillan helped lead the Panthers to their first playoff appearance in eight years and led all rookie receivers with 70 catches for 1,117 yards and six touchdowns.

Cleveland Browns linebacker Carson Schwesinger is the favorite to win the Defensive Rookie of the Year.

Walter Payton Man of the Year scouting report

Demario Davis is one of 32 candidates for the Walter Payton Man of the Year award. This is third time he’s been nominated for the award so you could say he’s due. Then again, I thought Cam Jordan was a shoo-in to win the award last year, and it went to Arik Armstead.

Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce is considered the frontrunner, but Davis deserves strong consideration for the tireless work he’s done in the New Orleans community with his Devoted Dreamers program.

Brees is the only Saints player to win Man of the Year in the award’s 56-year history.