Saints make first return to Miami since historic Super Bowl campaign

When the New Orleans Saints take the field Sunday against Miami, it will mark their first time stepping onto the same grass that witnessed the franchise’s first Super Bowl victory -- a 31–17 win over the favored Indianapolis Colts. It was a monumental moment for the city of New Orleans and the entire Gulf Coast region, one that still resonates nearly 16 years later.

Back during Super Bowl XLIV, what we now know as Hard Rock Stadium was called Sun Life Stadium, a name it carried for six NFL seasons (2010–2016). The venue briefly went by the name “New Miami Stadium” during the summer of 2010, before officially transitioning to Hard Rock Stadium ahead of the 2016 season.

Nearly a decade and a half later, there are still active players around the league who were part of that historic Saints team. Thomas Morstead, one of the unsung heroes of that Super Bowl run as a rookie, is still flipping the field today -- now in his 17th season with the San Francisco 49ers. Several former Saints from that era have also moved into coaching roles, including longtime Pro Bowl guard Jahri Evans, who now serves as an assistant offensive line coach under Sean Payton in Denver.

Since that championship season, the Saints and Dolphins have met three times, with New Orleans winning two of those matchups. Two of the meetings came in the Superdome -- most recently a 20–3 loss in 2021 -- while the other was a 20–0 Saints shutout in London in 2017. Because the teams reside in opposing conferences, they only meet on a four-year rotation, which has limited the number of matchups despite their relative geographic proximity.

While no current players -- and only one member of the Saints’ present coaching staff in Jahri Evans -- were part of the Super Bowl XLIV team, interim coach Kellen Moore could use the historic setting as extra motivation heading into Sunday’s game. As the players step onto that storied field, they should feel the weight of that sacred ground and strive to play up to the standard set by that historic 2009 squad.

This article originally appeared on Saints Wire: Saints make first return to Miami since historic Super Bowl campaign