Buccaneers GM is brutally honest regarding Saints

Tampa Bay Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports

Buccaneers GM is brutally honest regarding division-rival Saints

By Max Steele | Last updated 10/6/23

After the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-1) dominated the New Orleans Saints (2-2) 26-9 to take control of the NFC South, Tampa Bay general manager Jason Licht didn't hold back his feelings toward the division rival.

"I mean this with all due respect to the Saints, I hate them," Licht said on "The Season with Peter Schrager" podcast.

Licht gave New Orleans props for always being a tough team to beat, which he says makes the wins that much better. The Bucs are 8-12 against the Saints since Licht became GM in 2014.

When asked which victory was sweetest during Tampa Bay's 2021 championship run, Licht said upsetting QB Drew Brees and the Saints was more satisfying than defeating QB Aaron Rodgers and the Packers in the NFC Championship or QB Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs in Super Bowl LV.

He jokingly recalled mocking the Saints' "Who Dat?" catchphrase by tweeting, "We Dat!" after the 30-20 divisional round win.

The 2020 Bucs beat the Saints in NOLA, the Packers in Lambeau, and the defending champion Chiefs in the Super Bowl.

Of those three historic wins… which one was the sweetest for ⁦@Buccaneers⁩ GM Jason Licht?

“I mean this with all due respect to the Saints. I hate them.” pic.twitter.com/TBzdDAnSfZ
— Peter Schrager (@PSchrags) October 6, 2023

Licht definitely seems to disagree with Saints defensive end Cameron Jordan, who tried to deny a true rivalry with the Bucs before last Sunday's showdown.

"Our only real rivalry is with [Atlanta], and that's not really a rivalry," Jordan told reporters, insinuating New Orleans' superiority over the division.

Bucs QB Baker Mayfield and others were quick to fire back after stomping Jordan's team on the road.

For Licht, there's plenty to brag about this season. After the second retirement of Tom Brady, most critics predicted Tampa Bay to be one of the league's worst teams — NFL writer Peter King predicted the Bucs to go 2-15, a win total they've already surpassed.

The Bucs, led by a born-again Mayfield, find themselves in the top 10 of the NFL's "Week 5 Power Rankings" as they enter their bye week atop the NFC South.

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