An agreement in principle struck between owner Tom Benson and NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue will return the New Orleans Saints to Louisiana for practice in 2006, and likely for the entire regular-season schedule. The agreement, first reported by the San Antonio Express-News, was confirmed by two league owners, one of whom serves on the advisory committee that is counseling Benson on the direction of his franchise. "Today we are very pleased to advise our entire organization -- coaches, players and staff -- that we will be returning to Metairie in January," Benson said Friday in a memo circulated to the team. "We are working in Louisiana to play as many games as possible in the Superdome, which may be ready in September." Under the accord, which is expected to be finalized soon, the Saints will return to their permanent practice facility in Metairie, La., just outside of New Orleans. The state-owned training complex was commandeered by FEMA in the wake of Hurricane Katrina and used as a staging area. Saints officials had previously contended that the facility was in disrepair, but the damage was not nearly as severe as originally indicated. "[The talks] haven't always been amicable, and [Benson] still has some doubts about all of this, but it looks like they're going back [to Louisiana]," one owner advising the Saints said.

Jim Haslett is expected to present Saints owner Tom Benson with a proposal to determine whether he has a future as New Orleans' coach, sources have told ESPN's Chris Mortensen. Haslett is seeking a five-year contract extension, sources said, a substantial increase from the two-year extension the coach had been looking for earlier this year. In addition, Haslett wants control of football operations, a move that would marginalize the role of current Saints general manager Mickey Loomis, Mortensen reports. If Haslett is not granted his requested extension, sources indicate that he would try to leave the organization, using legal tactics if necessary. That would make him available to pursue one of several anticipated head-coaching vacancies around the league. The regular season ends Jan. 1.

When Hurricane Katrina forced the New Orleans Saints to move to this city temporarily, San Antonio began to think about how to keep the team permanently -- or at least prove it could support an NFL team along with a successful NBA franchise. But that was at the start of the season, before NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue suggested San Antonio was too small a market for a team and vowed to try to return the Saints to Louisiana next year. Now, San Antonio awaits a January announcement from the league on whether it'll play host again next season to the Saints, even if just for a game or two. San Antonio Mayor Phil Hardberger said he plans in January to talk officially with Saints owner Tom Benson about moving the team permanently to its current home. Hardberger said Benson indicated in the fall he was interested in making such a move, but the league has become more vocal about how the Saints' return to New Orleans could bolster the city's rebirth

Struggling New Orleans Saints quarterback Aaron Brooks has been benched for the rest of the season. "It's not an indictment of Aaron whatsoever," coach Jim Haslett said after practice Wednesday. "It's an indictment on our record." Haslett said he was replacing Brooks with Todd Bouman because of the Saints' 3-10 record. "I think the team will rally around Todd," Haslett said. "This was the time to see if Todd could handle the situation." Brooks, struggling through his worst year in seven seasons, said he didn't argue when told of Haslett's decision. "I just took it like a man," Brooks said. "I accept it. Ain't nothing I can do about it anyway."