Wil Lutz thanks New Orleans, but his agent bashed the Saints over the move to trade him
The New Orleans Saints traded kicker Wil Lutz to the Denver Broncos on Tuesday in a move that reunites him with his former head coach, Sean Payton, but his agent is apparently disappointed with how things played out.
The Saints received a seventh-rounder in exchange for the veteran kicker, clearing the way for rookie Blake Grupe, a Notre Dame product, to handle place-kicking duties this season.
While there was some speculation in recent weeks that Lutz could potentially be traded, his agent seems less than pleased that the Saints decided to move on from the Georgia State product.
"He didn’t lose his job. The Saints just made a poor decision," John Perla told Chris Tomasson of the Denver Gazette. "The better player is not the one who is left on the Saints’ roster, I’ll tell you that."
When John Perla, agent for new #Broncos kicker Wil Lutz, was asked about Lutz losing Saints job to Blake Grupe, he said, “He didn’t lose his job. The Saints just made a poor decision. The better player is not the one who is left on the Saints’ roster, I’ll tell you that.”
— Chris Tomasson (@christomasson) August 29, 2023
While Perla was critical of the decision by Saints general manager Mickey Loomis, Lutz posted a graceful thank you to the city of New Orleans after news of the trade was reported.
"New Orleans, thank you for the best 7 years of my life," Lutz said in an Instagram post. "Being able to rock the Black and Gold has been an absolute honor. We started a family here, made life long friends and made memories we'll never forget. This city will always be a special place to us.
"Proud of everything we accomplished in our 7 years together .... Pro Bowl, 4 division champs, and leaving with the 2nd most points in team history. New Orleans, I will always be a part of the WhoDatNation!. Excited for the next chapter of our lives .... Bronco Country .... Let's Ride."
Email Patrick Magee at PMagee@TheAdvocate.com or follow him on Twitter, @Patrick_Magee.
The Saints received a seventh-rounder in exchange for the veteran kicker, clearing the way for rookie Blake Grupe, a Notre Dame product, to handle place-kicking duties this season.
While there was some speculation in recent weeks that Lutz could potentially be traded, his agent seems less than pleased that the Saints decided to move on from the Georgia State product.
"He didn’t lose his job. The Saints just made a poor decision," John Perla told Chris Tomasson of the Denver Gazette. "The better player is not the one who is left on the Saints’ roster, I’ll tell you that."
When John Perla, agent for new #Broncos kicker Wil Lutz, was asked about Lutz losing Saints job to Blake Grupe, he said, “He didn’t lose his job. The Saints just made a poor decision. The better player is not the one who is left on the Saints’ roster, I’ll tell you that.”
— Chris Tomasson (@christomasson) August 29, 2023
While Perla was critical of the decision by Saints general manager Mickey Loomis, Lutz posted a graceful thank you to the city of New Orleans after news of the trade was reported.
"New Orleans, thank you for the best 7 years of my life," Lutz said in an Instagram post. "Being able to rock the Black and Gold has been an absolute honor. We started a family here, made life long friends and made memories we'll never forget. This city will always be a special place to us.
"Proud of everything we accomplished in our 7 years together .... Pro Bowl, 4 division champs, and leaving with the 2nd most points in team history. New Orleans, I will always be a part of the WhoDatNation!. Excited for the next chapter of our lives .... Bronco Country .... Let's Ride."
Email Patrick Magee at PMagee@TheAdvocate.com or follow him on Twitter, @Patrick_Magee.
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