Now a defensive leader for the struggling Saints, Lofton insists he has no regrets, did what was right for him and is eager to experience one of the NFL’s more intense and longstanding rivalries from the other side when the Saints (3-5) host unbeaten Atlanta (8-0) on Sunday.
“Yeah, I’m excited to play these guys after playing for them,” Lofton said this week. “It’s ifs, ands, woulda, coulda — now we’ll see what happens.”
It can be difficult to read in the loquacious Lofton’s playful grin whether he harbors any real resentment about his departure from Atlanta. On one hand, he says it’s nothing personal, but sometimes he’ll throw in a few extra comments insinuating that he felt somewhat underappreciated.
“I look at it as I left. I mean, they offered me and they wanted me to stay, but I just felt better” moving to New Orleans, Lofton said. “I wanted to go to a team that celebrated me, not tolerated me. That’s the way that I felt. I’m happy that I’m here and I’m excited for this game.”








