New Orleans Saints News

New Orleans Saints rookie first-round wide receiver Jordyn Tyson (hamstring), who has been a standout performer during training camp, is expected to be out roughly two months with a hamstring injury, according to the NFL Network's Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo. Tyson, who has been consulting with experts, could start his first NFL season on the short-term Injured Reserve, which would require him to miss at least the first four games. The 22-year-old eighth overall pick back in April from Arizona State was in line to open his NFL career as the WR2 in New Orleans across from Chris Olave, but that will now have to wait. Tyson also missed time in college with issues with the same hamstring, so fantasy managers in dynasty/keeper leagues who have him rostered have to be a little worried about his long-term durability already. He will still be worth rostering in redraft leagues in 2026, but he will now be more of a late-round stash target. Receiver Devaughn Vele and tight end Juwan Johnson might end up being the biggest beneficiaries early on, as well as rookie Barion Brown, who has been a standout this summer.

New Orleans Saints running back Travis Etienne Jr. has not exactly been handed the backfield, but his redraft case is holding up. Alvin Kamara has been getting the first call on third downs and in passing situations, while Etienne has handled most of the first-team work on early downs. That's the split that matters more than an unofficial depth chart listing both as co-starters. Etienne is coming off 1,399 scrimmage yards and 13 touchdowns in Jacksonville, with 1,107 of those yards on the ground over 260 carries. He has gone over 1,000 rushing yards in three of his four seasons on the field. At a 41.9 ADP, the price is still sitting in the fourth round. Kamara hanging around takes some catches off the table and probably keeps Etienne from seeing a true workhorse load. Fine. He doesn't need one. If the early-down split sticks, Etienne should still get enough carries to make that fourth-round cost work.

New Orleans Saints wide receiver Chris Olave is trending up ahead of the 2026 season. Last year was pivotal for Olave, who needed to prove that he could both produce and stay healthy over a full season. He ended up having a great year as he caught 100 passes for 1,163 yards and nine touchdowns across 16 games. All three of those statistics represented career highs, and he ended up finishing as the overall WR6 in PPR leagues. Although Olave is not a lock to replicate his top-six campaign from last year, he's still worth drafting at his ADP of 25.1. He's being drafted as an early third-round pick in most fantasy drafts, and he is typically the 11th receiver off the board. That falls in line with his ranking as the WR11 in RotoBaller's latest redraft rankings for 2026. We're intrigued about the possibility of drafting Olave, who is the top pass-catching option in an offense trending upward. Tyler Shough is due for a big Year 2 at quarterback, and the addition of Jordyn Tyson and Travis Etienne Jr. should help elevate this offense to the next level. Olave is a very strong WR1 for fantasy managers who choose to spend their first 1-2 picks on a running back or tight end.

New Orleans Saints wide receiver Bub Means turned in a strong showing in Saturday's 24-20 preseason loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars, catching four passes for a game-high 77 yards. Means came close to scoring in the second quarter when Zach Wilson found him down the field and he was stopped at the 1-yard line. Rookie tight end Oscar Delp scored on the next play. Means also hauled in a 37-yard pass later in the quarter, giving him two of New Orleans' biggest gains of the night. The performance was especially encouraging after Means missed all of the 2025 regular season because of ankle injuries. He is currently listed fourth on one receiver line of the Saints' unofficial depth chart, behind Chris Olave, Barion Brown and Trey Palmer, so there is still plenty of work to do. Still, 77 yards in his first preseason action of 2026 gives Means something to build on as he fights for a spot in the receiver rotation.

New Orleans Saints running back Audric Estime (ankle) suffered an ankle injury during Saturday's preseason contest against the Jacksonville Jaguars, head coach Kellen Moore told Mike Triplett of NewOrleans.Football. Estime's final touch of the game was a loss of six yards on a reception with 8:40 left in the second quarter. Prior to exiting, the 22-year-old had five carries, 28 rushing yards, and one rushing touchdown. It was an impressive performance, and it might have been enough to vault Estime to No. 3 on the depth chart behind Travis Etienne Jr. and Alvin Kamara. Assuming he's not sidelined for too long, he's likely on track to earn a roster spot, albeit as a depth piece with minimal fantasy value. Ty Chandler took over as the Saints' primary ball-carrier after Estime left the game.

Updating a previous report, New Orleans Saints head coach Kellen Moore said that rookie first-round wide receiver Jordyn Tyson (hamstring) is dealing with a right-hamstring issue and will miss time, according to ESPN's Katherine Terrell. Moore isn't giving a timetable for Tyson's return, but he did say "it could" potentially linger into Week 1 of the regular season. "We've just got to let these experts evaluate this, and then we'll put together a plan," Moore said. "Not going to jump to conclusions. I don't have a doctor in front of my name, so I'm not going to jump to put together a timeline on it." The former Arizona State wideout injured his hamstring during a joint practice with the Jacksonville Jaguars on Thursday after landing awkwardly following a catch. He was slow to get up to test his leg before jogging off the field and not returning. Moore said the injury isn't a result of his previous hamstring issues in college in 2025. Tyson's hamstring injury and the fact he's missing valuable time learning the offense certainly won't make him more attractive as a WR3/flex target in fantasy football drafts. If he's forced to miss time early in the season, the biggest beneficiary in the Saints' WR room will likely be Devaughn Vele. UPDATE: Per the NFL Network's Mike Garafolo, Tyson is seeking multiple opinions on his latest hamstring injury.

New Orleans Saints wide receiver Jordyn Tyson (hamstring) has a confirmed hamstring injury after leaving Thursday's joint practice with Jacksonville. Head coach Kellen Moore told reporters Friday that the Saints are still gathering information and don't have a timeline yet, according to Nick Underhill. That's worth watching closely with Tyson's recent injury history. The No. 8 overall pick missed four games at Arizona State last season with separate hamstring injuries and had his workload managed by New Orleans during the offseason after another hamstring issue. Tyson was healthy enough to return for training camp and had been working with the first-team offense before Thursday's exit. He caught 61 passes for 711 yards and eight touchdowns during his final college season and is expected to have a significant role alongside Chris Olave in New Orleans. There was some optimism Thursday that the injury wasn't serious, but Moore's comments make the next update on Tyson's timetable the important one. UPDATE: Moore said that Tyson has a right-hamstring injury, per Mike Triplett of NewOrleans.Football.

New Orleans Saints wide receiver Barion Brown received a pretty notable comparison from Chris Olave on Thursday. According to Erin Summers, Olave said Brown reminds him a lot of former Saints receiver Rashid Shaheed, adding that the two are "basically the same player." Brown came to New Orleans as a sixth-round pick after finishing his college career with 175 catches for 2,060 yards and 12 touchdowns. His return work stands out even more. Brown averaged 29.4 yards on 65 kickoff returns and took six of them for touchdowns, an SEC career record. He has also been making plays as a receiver in camp, with Kellen Moore praising his progress earlier this month and the Saints noting that Brown was on the receiving end of several deep balls early in camp. New Orleans has plenty of competition at receiver, including Chris Olave, first-round pick Jordyn Tyson, Devaughn Vele and fourth-round pick Bryce Lance. Brown may not have an immediate redraft role, but he is giving dynasty managers something to watch.

New Orleans Saints rookie first-round wide receiver Jordyn Tyson (hamstring) suffered what is believed to be a minor hamstring injury in training camp practice on Thursday, according to Nick Underhill and Mike Triplett of NewOrleans.Football. It's not a serious injury for Tyson, but it's also not ideal as he looks to gear up for his first NFL season. The 22-year-old also had his reps managed during the offseason program due to a hamstring issue that occurred before the NFL Draft in April. The Arizona State alum had an injury-plagued collegiate career as well, so this is definitely not ideal news with the regular season around a month away. If healthy, Tyson is expected to carve out a role as the Saints' WR2 in his first NFL campaign behind Chris Olave in an up-tempo offense under head coach Kellen Moore, giving Tyson plenty of fantasy value in Year 1. But given his injury history and the fact that he lost valuable developmental reps this offseason, fantasy managers in redraft leagues should consider him more of an upside WR3/flex target than a strong WR2 choice in upcoming drafts.

NewOrleans.Football's Nick Underhill reports that New Orleans Saints second-year quarterback Tyler Shough is "cooking" during training camp practice on Thursday. Shough is apparently picking up where he left off this summer after an impressive rookie campaign in the Big Easy in which he threw for 2,384 yards, 10 touchdowns, and six interceptions in his first 11 games (nine starts) in the NFL. The 26-year-old second-rounder from the University of Louisville immediately connected with WR1 Chris Olave and benefited from head coach Kellen Moore's up-tempo offense to go 5-4 as a starter as a rookie. The Saints added running back Travis Etienne Jr. and rookie first-round receiver Jordyn Tyson to the offense, potentially helping Shough to a breakout in his sophomore season in the NFL. To do so, Shough will need to improve his deep passing game, but he has the rushing ability to be a strong QB2 for fantasy managers in 2026.

The New Orleans Saints spent a 2026 fourth-round pick on wide receiver Bryce Lance, and while earlier in camp it was sixth-round rookie Barion Brown grabbing the majority of headlines with his work downfield, Lance is himself emerging as a vertical threat, coming down with another long touchdown catch on Wednesday. Earlier in the week, Lance connected with Spencer Rattler for a 50-yard touchdown, and on Wednesday he raised the difficulty by working through double coverage to come down with a 40-yarder in the end zone. Lance averaged a ludicrous 21.2 yards per catch in his final season at North Dakota State, and he's capable of providing a field-stretching presence that's likely to open things up for Chris Olave and Jordyn Tyson whenever they're on the field together in three-receiver sets. While the younger brother of former third overall pick Trey Lance is not a player to target in lineup leagues, his big-play ability makes him an intriguing dart-throw in best ball formats.

The New Orleans Saints practiced in full pads for two hours on Tuesday in 90-degree heat, but at nearly 30 years old, tight end Juwan Johnson was not slowed down by the dog days of summer. Team reporter Todd Graffagnini credits Johnson with one of the plays of training camp, a 4th-and-one touchdown catch in the back corner of the end zone while being blanketed by Kool-Aid McKinstry during a two-minute drill. Graffagnini points to the play as yet another example of Johnson's big-play ability that has shown up throughout camp. In his first season in Kellen Moore's system, Johnson was one of only seven tight ends to see 100 targets, and in year two, with quarterback Tyler Shough in his first full season as a starter, there are expectations that the offense could operate at an even higher tempo, resulting in more opportunities for all the team's pass catchers. Following a TE10 finish a season ago, Johnson is being drafted as the TE17 in 2026, and with all signs out of training camp pointing to a featured role in an ascending offense, he could prove to be one of the best values in the closing rounds of drafts.

New Orleans Saints defensive end Cameron Jordan (hamstring) could continue to deal with his injury into the regular season, according to Katherine Terrell of ESPN.com. Jordan injured his hamstring during practice last Thursday, and while he's going to miss a chunk of training camp at the bare minimum, he could also open the regular season on the sideline. That would be less than ideal for the Saints and their 37-year-old defensive standout, who racked up 47 tackles, 10.5 sacks, and two forced fumbles last year. Having Jordan healthy, available, and productive is one of the main keys for the Saints this season as they look to compete for the NFC South title. Vernon Broughton (hip) should earn more reps along the defensive line for the duration of Jordan's absence.

New Orleans Saints running backs Travis Etienne Jr. and Alvin Kamara have been listed as co-starters on the team's first unofficial depth chart of the preseason, according to Mike Triplett of NewOrleans.Football. Fantasy managers shouldn't invest too much stock in unofficial depth charts with the regular season more than a month away, but it's still noteworthy that the Saints aren't declaring a clear-cut No. 1 running back yet. Etienne figures to be the lead ball-carrier after signing a $48 million contract during the offseason, but Kamara is still hanging around ahead of his age-31 season. Last year in Jacksonville, Etienne had 1,399 scrimmage yards and 13 touchdowns, ranking as the RB10 in PPR leagues. Meanwhile, injuries limited Kamara to just 11 games, and he turned in the worst season of his career with just 657 scrimmage yards, one touchdown, and a pair of fumbles. He was the overall RB46, marking the first time in his career he finished a season lower than RB46. With all that in mind, we would expect Etienne to claim sole possession of the No. 1 spot on the depth chart by the end of the preseason. As it stands, he ranks as the overall RB17 in RotoBaller's latest half-PPR draft rankings for the 2026 fantasy football season.

The NFL Network's Cameron Wolfe noted on Monday that New Orleans Saints second-year quarterback Tyler Shough was "so accurate" in training camp practice, and the "ball barely hit the ground." Wolfe added that Shough showed much more command and comfort with the offense while also connecting well with No. 1 receiver Chris Olave. Shough appeared in 11 games (nine starts) for the Saints as a rookie in 2025 and impressed, completing 67.6% of his 327 pass attempts for 2,384 yards, 10 touchdowns, and six interceptions while also running for 186 yards and three touchdowns. In another season in head coach Kellen Moore's up-tempo offense, the 26-year-old former second-rounder from the University of Louisville could be primed to take a step forward in his first full year as an NFL starter in 2026. The Saints added running back Travis Etienne Jr. and rookie first-round wideout Jordyn Tyson, too, to give Shough even more weapons. Shough is nowhere near QB1 territory in fantasy football, but he's certainly becoming an interesting QB2 target in superflex formats as he heads into his sophomore campaign in the Big Easy.

LouisianaSports.net's Ross Jackson reported that New Orleans Saints running back Devin Neal (hamstring) was not seen at practice on Saturday. Neal is still recovering from a hamstring injury that he sustained during practice on Thursday. The 23-year-old is hoping to return to the field in time to play in the Saints' preseason opener against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Neal will need to have a strong preseason to earn an offensive role in the Saints' backfield. The team signed Travis Etienne Jr. to a four-year, $52 million contract in free agency, and recently signed Alvin Kamara to a restructured one-year contract to keep him with the team. Neal will have to see an injury to one of the backs ahead of him on the depth chart to be fantasy relevant in 2026.

New Orleans Saints running back Travis Etienne Jr. doesn't need a workhorse role to pay off at his current 41.9 ADP. He is coming off a strong final season in Jacksonville, rushing for 1,107 yards and seven touchdowns while adding 36 catches for 292 yards and six more scores. The Saints clearly wanted him, giving the 27-year-old a four-year, $52 million deal in March, and his early camp usage has been encouraging. Etienne has seen most of the first-team work on early downs, with Alvin Kamara getting more of the passing-down reps. Kamara staying in New Orleans takes some shine off Etienne's ceiling, particularly as a receiver, but it does not mean this has to become an even backfield split. Etienne has rushed for more than 1,000 yards in three of his four NFL seasons on the field and should have plenty of opportunities to do damage again. RotoBaller has him 33rd overall, nearly nine spots ahead of his current ADP. That fourth-round price still looks pretty good.

New Orleans Saints wide receiver Devaughn Vele is expected to be the team's WR3 in 2026. Vele had just 293 yards and two touchdowns in his first season with the Saints, but he picked up steam at the end of the year. He totaled 19 of 26 targets for 239 yards and one touchdown in his final four games last season. While the additions of rookies Jordyn Tyson, Bryce Lance, and Barion Brown have increased the risk to Vele's stock entering his third season, his role in head coach Kellen Moore's offense seems cemented. With the injury history surrounding Tyson and current lead receiver Chris Olave, Vele could be in line for a major role in this offense if either were to miss time this season. Currently ranked WR86 in RotoBaller's rankings, Vele is a solid handcuff option to consider in deeper leagues.

New Orleans Saints rookie wide receiver Brock Rechsteiner was suspended by the NFL on Thursday for the first six games of the 2026 regular season, according to Katherine Terrell of ESPN. No reason was given for the suspension. In the meantime, the 23-year-old will be allowed to practice during training camp and participate in preseason games. His suspension will begin after the Saints' roster is reduced to 53 players on Aug. 30. Rechsteiner was signed by New Orleans as an undrafted rookie after rookie minicamp in May. He spent three collegiate seasons at Jacksonville State, recording a total of 53 receptions for 629 yards and seven touchdowns in 37 games in Conference USA. His best season came last year, with Rechsteiner catching 36 passes for 383 yards and five touchdowns in 13 games played. He will continue to compete for a spot on the Saints' 53-man roster, but his six-game suspension will not help his cause.

New Orleans Saints running back Kendre Miller (back) did not participate in Thursday's practice and is considered "day-to-day," according to head coach Kellen Moore. After being a limited participant in the previous few sessions, Miller was downgraded due to a back issue. The former third-round pick has dealt with injuries throughout his NFL career, including an ACL tear he suffered in Week 7 of last season. Miller is currently behind running backs Travis Etienne and Alvin Kamara and is competing for the RB3 role with second-year back Devin Neal. This back issue, along with recovery from a major knee injury, should keep him off the fantasy radar for the 2026 season unless he is traded to a better situation or injuries occur to the other Saints' backs.