NEW ORLEANS -- Safety Kenny Vaccaro was benched during the New Orleans Saints' blowout loss to the New England Patriots on Sunday amid reports that the Saints may be looking to trade him.
Vaccaro, a first-round draft pick in 2013, said he was surprised by the benching -- despite his admitted struggles in the Saints' week 1 loss at Minnesota. But coach Sean Payton explained, "Listen, we need to get more consistent play, and that dates back to last weekend."
Vaccaro's benching followed reports by both CBS and NFL Network that the Saints were discussing the fifth-year pro in trade talks this week -- although Payton brushed off the trade question by saying, "it's not unusual early in the season for teams to call about" players at positions where teams have depth.