NFL Paris Game 2026: 'This isn't a normal game,' admits Kellen Moore

The series of press conferences was organised specifically for French media ahead of the historic Paris showdown between the New Orleans Saints and the Pittsburgh Steelers at the Stade de France on 25 October.

With less than two months to go until the first regular-season NFL game held in France, the Saints' head coach was keen not to downplay the occasion.

While he intends to keep as many of the routines of a typical NFL week as possible, Moore also wants his players to be fully aware of the exceptional nature of the moment.

During the session, Moore outlined the Saints' schedule for their week in Paris and spoke about his personal relationship with international football in NFL Europe.

He also discussed Tyler Shough's development, offensive adjustments, and New Orleans' ambitions for the 2026 season.

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Kellen Moore: "This isn't a normal game"

In preparing for the match against the Steelers, the Saints have already settled on a significant portion of their logistical plan.

New Orleans will play their previous game in New York before heading straight to Paris. The players and staff will therefore spend the entire week in France ahead of the Stade de France fixture.

Meetings, training sessions and workload will therefore be kept as close as possible to a standard week.

For everything else, Kellen Moore readily acknowledges the unique nature of the trip.

The Saints' head coach has no intention of keeping his players confined to the hotel, meeting rooms and practice facility for the entire week.

Many family members of players and staff are also expected to make the trip.

An approach directly inspired by his own experience.

From NFL Europe to the Stade de France: Kellen Moore's personal connection with Europe

For Kellen Moore, the NFL Paris Game 2026 will not be his first experience of American football on the international stage.

But his interest in Europe stretches back well before he took a seat on an NFL sideline.

When asked what the young Boise State quarterback would have thought had he been told he would one day become an NFL head coach and lead his team at the Stade de France, Moore immediately cast his mind back.

NFL Europe, which had franchises in Amsterdam, Berlin, Frankfurt, and London among others, folded in 2007.

NFL

Moore began his NFL career in 2012, just a few years too late to live that experience himself.

Since then, Moore has had the opportunity to experience several international games.

During his time with the Detroit Lions, he played a game in London. Then, in 2024, he was part of the Philadelphia Eagles coaching staff for their trip to Brazil.

Paris will therefore be his third international experience in the NFL.

NFL FRANCE

Moore's message to French supporters: get your "Who Dat" ready

The choice of the New Orleans Saints for the first regular-season NFL game held in France is obviously no coincidence.

New Orleans retains a strong identity shaped by its French heritage, most notably through the famous French Quarter and the broader cultural history of Louisiana.

A connection the Saints have been building on for several months to grow their presence in France.

For the head coach, this game represents an opportunity that goes well beyond sport.

And when asked what a French supporter discovering the Saints for the first time on 25 October needs to know about this team, Moore doesn't need a lengthy speech.

The date is set.

Tyler Shough takes the next step in the Saints' offense

While the Paris game took up a significant portion of the conversation, Kellen Moore also offered several interesting insights into the sporting construction of his squad.

It starts with Tyler Shough.

Having earned his chance as the starter during his rookie season, the young quarterback is now entering a new phase of his development.

But his progression is no longer just about his performances with the ball in his hands.

For his head coach, the most significant evolution now concerns his overall command of the offense.

A progression that is particularly evident before the snap.

The Saints can now give their quarterback multiple options before a play and hand him greater responsibility in making the final call.

After a first year spent partly learning the system, continuity must now allow Shough to gradually become one of its true orchestrators.

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Moore: "We need to run the ball better"

The evolution of the Saints' offense will not rest on Tyler Shough alone, however.

Kellen Moore has clearly identified one of New Orleans' priorities during the off-season: improving the running game.

The Saints have looked to strengthen their depth along the offensive line and at running back, most notably with the arrival of Travis Etienne.

New Orleans Saints

For Moore, that depth will be indispensable across a 17-game regular season.

The head coach is in any case satisfied with the work done during training camp.

The departure of Demario Davis and the arrival of Kaden Elliss

Kellen Moore also spoke about the significant changes made on defense.

The departure of Demario Davis deprives New Orleans of one of its most important locker-room leaders in recent years.

Ric Tapia/Getty Images

To compensate for his absence, the Saints will be able to call upon Kaden Elliss, who has arrived from the Atlanta Falcons.

Ellis is a reinforcement Moore knows particularly well, having had to draw up game plans against him.

The head coach particularly appreciates his versatility.

There is an added bonus for New Orleans on top of that.

Iconsport

A strong finish to 2025 as a starting point, not a guarantee

The Saints ended the 2025 season with a record of 6 wins and 11 losses.

But New Orleans had won four of their final five games, offering some encouraging signs for the future of Kellen Moore's project.

The head coach singles out one game played in the rain at Tampa Bay as an important moment in his group's development.

New Orleans then went on to string together several positive results.

Moore is nonetheless reluctant to treat that momentum as a guarantee for 2026.

The message is clear: to take the next step, the Saints will need to be able to reproduce that level of competitiveness across an entire season.

Kellen Moore sets the objective: win the NFC South

When asked what would allow him to consider the 2026 season a success, Kellen Moore made no attempt to temper his team's ambitions.

The first objective is clearly stated: "It starts with winning our division."

Winning the NFC South represents, in his view, the most direct route back to the playoffs.

But Moore also knows that an NFL season never unfolds in a straightforward manner.

That philosophy sums up the project he is trying to build in New Orleans fairly well.

Having ended 2025 on an encouraging note, the Saints must now turn that progress into results across a full season, and among the fixtures that will define their 2026, one game already occupies a place of its own.

On 25 October at the Stade de France, Kellen Moore doesn't simply want his players to face the Pittsburgh Steelers. He also wants them to appreciate that they are living through a week they may never forget.

Because, as he himself acknowledged, this will not be a normal game.

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