Q. What do you think about Dallas getting a contract? What's your reaction?
NICK SIRIANNI: Yeah, really excited for him. He's the type of guy that we have -- we just think the world of him. We think he's a great football player, great on and off the field.
And just the type of guy you want in the -- to succeed and to sign contracts like this, right, and to keep in the building. So really excited for him and his family and just the organization, that we could get this done.
Q. Is he one of those guys that you like matched up against anybody?
NICK SIRIANNI: Yeah, pretty much always with him. Yeah, he's -- you know, he does a lot of things really well. I think that's what's special about Dallas, is that, you know, he's not a receiving tight end, he's not a blocking tight end. He can do both, right?
It's just something that's -- you know, there's not a lot of guys like that, that are really exceptional at being able to create mismatches in the pass game and also get their job done in the run game.
So, you know, he's shown that for some time now. And he's definitely shown that to me in the short time I've been here.
And so, again just really excited for him and that he'll be locked up here for -- and for us, that he'll be locked up for the next couple years.
Q. Is he on track to play Sunday?
NICK SIRIANNI: Yes, yes. We're expecting him to play Sunday.
Q. What about Miles Sanders?
NICK SIRIANNI: We still have that time to make that decision. He's had two good practices in a row. But we're going to still just think through a couple of things and give it another night and make a decision from there.
Q. Nick, what about Barnett?
NICK SIRIANNI: He's dealing with something with his neck and we're getting all the information. So he wasn't out there at practice.
Q. Nick, were you satisfied with the NFL's explanation why there wasn't -- you know, with the Goedert hit, why there wasn't any fine or anything like that?
NICK SIRIANNI: Yeah, again, they looked at the tape and they gave us the explanation. And that's just for us to be able to coach our guys and understand the rules. So, yeah, satisfied with that.
We always get the information we need from the NFL when we turn in calls. And, yeah, I'm good and I'm satisfied with the information I got from them.
Q. Nick, you've had four running backs active on game day. Have you ever had any situation like that?
NICK SIRIANNI: I'm sure there has been. I know it's a rarity. But I'm sure there has been a time. Again, I'm glad that we have the four backs that we have.
You know, they all have a special skill set that we like and that we can use. And so, we're -- again, a tribute to Howie and his staff of the depth that we've created there.
And, you know, again, just think a lot of every back in that room and I think a lot of teams would like to be in the situation we're in right now, to have four guys that you really trust and can go out there and make plays.
Q. When it comes to Miles, whenever he's back, have you thought out the rotation? Specifically, in regards to Kenny, he's been the third down, hurry-up back. Is that the role you want to keep him in?
NICK SIRIANNI: Yeah, again, those kind of go -- they're different each week here and there. Again. You're going to have some third down things where you're trying to create mismatches or using him for protection.
You're going to have some things with different carries of, You know, I want this guy on this particular play or this guy on this particular play. And then you see how the game's going, too.
So I'm never -- I think early in my career, I'm like, Oh, how many backs, how many carries is this guy going to get, how many carries is this guy going to get? The answer to that is you just don't know.
It depends on how the game's going, it depends how the backs are -- that particular back is carrying it.
And it depends on the way the defense is playing you. If the ones that do have our personnel with a number by it -- you know, with the back's number by it, if that's the road we're going to go with the plays.
Q. When you look at the Saints' linebackers, I mean, how tough are they in terms of, like, you know, you guys trying to get the run game going?
NICK SIRIANNI: Yeah, we know they're aggressive and a good group. You know, I haven't been up there since 2019. And I know, then, in '19, I mean, No. 56, Davis, is just a really, really good player who is aggressive and can make a lot of plays to the football.
And so, I got a lot of respect for their linebackers and their defensive coordinator and whoever their -- and their linebacker coach, right, of how they coach them.
But, you know, with 20 and No. 5, this is a good group of linebackers. They're aggressive. They'll hit you. I think they -- it looks like on film, they're instinctive and they know how to get to the football because of how they're reading stuff.
And so, again, we got to account for them. But we know they're good upfront and we got to handle that level first and get off to their linebackers.
And this is a good front seven and they got good players in the backend, as well. Again, they're going to pose a lot of challenges for us and we got to be ready -- we got to be at the top of our game to be able to handle it.
Q. On Barnett, is this something that happened in practice and is this something that can keep him sidelined?
NICK SIRIANNI: Yeah, again, we're still working through all the information on that. Again, he's questionable right now. So you can take that for how that is.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports