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New Orleans Saints News & Rumors

Saints’ Julian Blackmon Suffers Torn Labrum

September 8th, 2025 at 12:21pm CST by Adam La Rose

For the second time in 2025, labrum surgery is in store for Julian Blackmon. The veteran safety’s tenure with the Saints is set to last only one game.

NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported on Monday Blackmon was feared to have suffered a torn labrum, an injury he encountered late last season. Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football has since confirmed that is indeed the case. As a result, season-ending surgery is upcoming.

Blackmon underwent surgery on his previous tear in January. Rapoport notes this latest ailment concerns a different portion of the same labrum, while Underhill adds surgery will take place soon. The news marks a notable blow to New Orleans’ secondary, a unit which lost Tyrann Mathieu to retirement in July. Blackmon was added in the immediate aftermath of that decision.

That came about via a one-year pact featuring $3.17MM in guarantees. After just one regular season contest, Blackmon’s attention will now turn once again to the recovery process. The Saints, meanwhile, will presumably need to seek out a safety addition with the regular season already underway.

Blackmon played out his rookie contract with the Colts, serving as a full-time starter during that span. The 27-year-old did not generate a notable market during his first trip to free agency, however, and he remained in Indianapolis on a one-year pact. The Colts added Camryn Bynum this spring, pointing to a Blackmon departure taking place. The latter spent much of the offseason unsigned, and this injury will no doubt hurt his earning potential next spring as well.

New Orleans recently released special teams ace J.T. Gray, who has since joined the Ravens. Gray would not have been a preferred candidate to fill in on defense, but his absence will compound the Saints’ depth issues at safety given the fact Blackmon is now out for the rest of the campaign. New Orleans entered Monday with $8.61MM in cap space, so finances will not be an issue if another low-cost addition is sought out in the near future.

2025 Offseason In Review Series

September 7th, 2025 at 10:25pm CST by Adam La Rose

Here are PFR’s breakdowns of each NFL team’s 2025 offseason.

AFC East

AFC North

AFC South

AFC West

NFC East

NFC North

NFC South

NFC West

Minor NFL Transactions: 9/6/25

September 6th, 2025 at 7:28pm CST by Ely Allen

With our first slate of Sunday games tomorrow, we’ll see our first slew of standard gameday practice squad elevations. Here are today’s minor transactions:

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Buffalo Bills

Carolina Panthers

Cincinnati Bengals

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Rams

Miami Dolphins

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

New York Jets

Pittsburgh Steelers

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

Washington Commanders

Each NFL team is granted up to two standard gameday practice squad elevations each game, allowing them to call up two members of their practice squad who are able to play in that weekend’s game. After the game is played, the elevated players revert back to the practice squad with no transaction required. This differs from the situation with somebody like Crumedy in Carolina. With Mathis’ placement on injured reserve opening a spot on the 53-man roster, Crumedy has been promoted from the practice squad to the active roster, where he will remain until he is cut or his contract expires.

Practice squad players can be called up a maximum of three times under a single practice squad contract. If a team wants to call up a player who’s been called up three times already, the team will usually sign the player to their active roster for a game, cut them after, and then sign them to a new practice squad contract. Under the new contract, the player would be eligible to be elevated for three more games.

As the Dolphins await Jason Sanders‘ return from IR, Patterson was named the winner of a kicking audition with three other veteran kickers. Miami will be able to elevate him three times but will have to promote him to the active roster for any games between that and Sanders’ activation. Similarly, Prater will likely be on the same plan in Buffalo.

Haener’s stint on the Saints’ active roster was short-lived as the team decides to move forward with only two quarterbacks. Spencer Rattler will handle starting duties to begin the campaign with second-round rookie Tyler Shough serving as his backup.

NFC South Notes: Pitts, Otton, Saints, Young

September 6th, 2025 at 12:01pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Falcons rebuffed Kyle Pitts trade interest, though with the former top-five pick set to begin a contract year, it is possible the franchise could revisit this topic. Pitts was mentioned as “relatively available” this offseason, with the price of a Day 2 pick floated. No Pitts extension is planned, but a franchise tag would not be out of the question if the tight end puts together a good contract year. Still, teams indeed viewed the Florida alum as available in the past, per The Athletic’s Josh Kendall. The Falcons stumbling out of the blocks this season could reignite the prospect of Pitts being traded during his fifth-year option season.

How Pitts’ salary would be divvied up in a trade would be a key component in negotiations, as he is tied to a $10.88MM option salary. The later in the season he is dealt, the less money an acquiring team would be responsible for. The Falcons having Pitts would give Michael Penix Jr. a fairly talented weapon, but if the team intends to make the 6-foot-6 pass catcher a one-contract player, it would make sense to listen to offers before the November deadline.

Here is the latest from the NFC South:

  • Buccaneers extensions for Luke Goedeke and Zyon McCollum have surfaced this week, but the team appears through with its preseason paydays. No Cade Otton deal is expected, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler notes. Otton would join Pitts as promising TE options in 2026, barring any franchise tags. The former fourth-round pick is interested in a Bucs extension, and Tampa Bay is rather good at retaining its own. Next year’s tight end market would stand to include, barring extensions or tags, big names. Travis Kelce, Mark Andrews, Dallas Goedert, David Njoku and Isaiah Likely‘s contracts expire after this season. Otton, Pitts and Likely would be of particular interest as second-contract-seeking players. Otton, 26, is looking to build on a career-best 600 yards and four touchdown catches last season.
  • Pro Football Focus rated Alontae Taylor as the NFL’s worst full-time cornerback last season, ranking him 116th. The former second-round pick’s perception within the league appears different, as Fowler notes the Saints CB is on the extension radar. New Orleans jettisoned Marshon Lattimore at last year’s deadline and lost Paulson Adebo — a player the team hoped to re-sign — in free agency. Although the Saints drafted Kool-Aid McKinstry in Round 2 last year, they appear interested in a second Taylor contract. He has started 37 career games entering his platform year.
  • Chase Young is again dealing with injury trouble. The recently re-signed defensive end, who bounced back from neck surgery to play 17 games last season, will miss the Saints’ opener with a calf injury. Young joins Trevor Penning, who has been battling turf toe, in being ruled out.
  • The Falcons have not ruled out Darnell Mooney for Week 1, but the team has been coy regarding the deep threat’s status after a late-July shoulder injury. In other Mooney matters, the team restructured his contract. Atlanta created $6MM in cap space by restructuring Mooney’s deal, ESPN’s Field Yates tweets. Mooney is tied to a three-year, $39MM contract — a deal that includes three void years. The sixth-year receiver’s restructure ballooned his 2026 cap hit to $18.05MM.
  • Last September, Bryce Young‘s January 2026 extension-eligible date did not appear to mean much. The Panthers were moving toward a 2025 separation with a QB they benched. Young’s second-half turnaround last season, though, has the prospect of a 2026 payday back in play, per ESPN’s Dan Graziano. The Panthers believe the undersized passer has turned a corner in terms of confidence and competitiveness, and Carolina believes the improvement he showed late last year will carry over. While it would be perhaps more newsworthy if the Panthers didn’t believe Young would sustain this form, the prospect of an extension for the 5-foot-10 QB is still notable considering the separation rumors that engulfed him less than a year ago.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/4/25

September 4th, 2025 at 5:56pm CST by Ben Levine

Just one practice squad move to pass along:

New Orleans Saints

As Chase Young deals with a calf injury, the Saints have added some depth on the edge, signing Garrett Nelson to their practice squad. A Nebraska product, Nelson has spent time with the Dolphins, Bengals, and Broncos but has yet to get into an NFL game. To make room on the roster, the Saints moved on from QB Hunter Dekkers, who joined the team as a UDFA this offseason.

Minor NFL Transactions: 9/2/25

September 2nd, 2025 at 7:55pm CST by Ely Allen

Here are today’s minor moves as we inch a day closer to the start of the regular season:

Carolina Panthers

Chicago Bears

Cleveland Browns

New Orleans Saints

San Francisco 49ers

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

  • Waived (with injury settlement): CB JayVian Farr, CB Roman Parodie

The 49ers are doing a bit of shuffling in their receiving corps, calling up Valdes-Scantling from the practice squad and cutting Gage. According to multiple sources, it’s believed that Gage will be immediately signed back to the team’s practice squad to remain with the team.

Haener was brought back to the active roster in New Orleans after being waived at the roster cut deadline. The Saints had three quarterbacks, with Iowa Western rookie practice squad passer Hunter Dekkers, but adding Haener gives the team a bit more experienced depth, if only barely, in what may be the league’s youngest quarterbacks room.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/2/25

September 2nd, 2025 at 7:17pm CST by Ely Allen

Here are Tuesday’s practice squad moves:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Denver Broncos

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

Pittsburgh Steelers

Seattle Seahawks

Washington Commanders

The 12-year veteran wide receiver, Woods, had been signed to the Steelers’ practice squad after failing to make the 53-man roster. Per ESPN’s Brooke Pryor, Woods requested to be released from his practice squad contract but told Pittsburgh that he would be open to returning if a spot on the active roster opened up for him. The team granted his request.

The Cardinals are able to add two players while only releasing one because Daxon is part of the NFL’s International Player Pathway Program, having been born in the Bahamas. Teams can have one more than the 16-player limit for their practice squad, as long as the 17th players is in the IPPP.

Per Brady Henderson of ESPN, it’s believed that the Seahawks have made this transaction as a courtesy to Campbell, Gaines, and Laumea, who’ve all spent most of the offseason in Seattle with the team. This week on the practice squad will potentially get each player a minimum check for $13K, but the Seahawks are expected to bring Martinez and Jean-Charles back to the p-squad. The same has yet to be confirmed for Kight.

Saints Hire Thomas Dimitroff

September 2nd, 2025 at 11:22am CST by Adam La Rose

Thomas Dimitroff is set to return to the NFL in 2025. The former general manager has a consultant position lined up with the Saints, as first reported by Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer. The news is now official, per a team announcement.

Dimitroff’s tenure as the Falcons’ GM (which began in 2008) came to an end in 2020. Two years later, he helped found SumerSports, a football analytics company. Interest about a return to the NFL in a front office capacity proved to be mutual, as Dimitroff interviewed with the Jets in December for their general manager vacancy. He was then among the candidates for the Titans’ GM gig.

Dimitroff did not land either of those positions, but the longtime scout is now set to work in New Orleans’ front office. As Breer notes, the 59-year-old has spent considerable time with the Saints this offseason. Now that he is officially on board, Dimitroff will assist general manager Mickey Loomis in a number of capacities.

This move is essentially a duplicate of last year’s Dave Ziegler hire. The former Raiders GM spent one season working alongside Loomis in New Orleans before being hired as an assistant general manager with the Titans this winter. Ian Rapoport of NFL Network notes Dimitroff can be expected to fill the vacancy created by Ziegler’s departure.

Loomis is the longest-tenured pure GM in the NFL. His stint with the Saints is not expected to end any time soon, but he will be joined by a notable name for the 2025 campaign. It will be interesting to see if Dimitroff’s stock benefits from his work in New Orleans and if he continues to seek out a new general manager gig during next year’s hiring cycle.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/1/25

September 1st, 2025 at 9:30pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

Here are the latest practice squad transactions from around the NFL:

Chicago Bears

  • Signed: LB Cale Jones Jr.
  • Released: LB Power Echols

Indianapolis Colts

Las Vegas Raiders

Miami Dolphins

New Orleans Saints

  • Signed: QB/WR Tommy Mellott, DT Coziah Izzard

New York Jets

Seattle Seahawks

Tennessee Titans

With backup quarterback Aidan O’Connell starting the season on injured reserve, the Raiders – who already traded for Kenny Pickett – added some more veteran depth by signing Driskel. The 32-year-old has spent the last seven years in the NFL but only took one snap for the Commanders last season. Now, Driskel will join rookie QB Cam Miller on the practice squad in Las Vegas.

Saints Release S J.T. Gray

September 1st, 2025 at 1:35pm CST by Adam La Rose

J.T. Gray has operated as a core special teams presence throughout his Saint tenure, but his time with the team could be coming to an end. The eighth-year safety is being released, Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football reports. Head coach Kellen Moore has since confirmed the news.

[RELATED: Recapping Saints’ Offseason]

Gray survived roster cuts last week, something which appeared to set him up for another campaign serving as a central figure on special teams in 2025. The former UDFA has played 98 NFL games, all of which have been with the Saints. Barring a practice squad return, though, he will now test the open market.

One year remained on Gray’s contract, and he was owed $3.1MM this season. Today’s move will generate $2.6MM in cap savings since that was his scheduled base salary. The 29-year-old has already been paid a roster bonus in March, and that will contribute to the $980K in dead money charges incurred by this release.

During his New Orleans tenure, Gray has totaled only 153 snaps on defense. His impact in the third phase has been substantial, however; Gray has amassed 2,065 snaps on special teams, logging a workload of 83% or higher in three of the past four seasons. In 2021, the Mississippi State product received a Pro Bowl invitation along with a first-team All-Pro nod for his special teams work. Gray has also landed on the second All-Pro team twice, including last year.

Moore deemed (via team reporter Erin Summers) the decision to cut Gray the most challenging to date of his tenure. That suggests a return by means of the taxi squad is not immediately forthcoming. With plenty of roster moves still likely to be made before Week 1, however, it will be interesting to see if the team attempts to keep him in the fold at some point.

For now, the Saints will move forward with a safety room which lost Tyrann Mathieu to retirement this offseason. Free agent signing Justin Reid will be counted on to help replace him, while later addition Julian Blackmon and third-round rookie Jonas Sanker will be tasked with contributing defensively as well. New Orleans’ depth in the secondary will be thinner based on the Gray release, and special teams could suffer a notable loss with him no longer in the fold.

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