Category: Saints on Social Media

WATCH: Saints cap training camp with the best quarterbacks challenge of 2020

The New Orleans Saints capped off their 2020 training camp with the best quarterbacks challenge of the year, adding coach Pete Carmichael.

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There haven’t been many of the usual quarterback challenges after practice during this year’s New Orleans Saints training camp, but the passers made the most of their opportunity after their final day of work was in the books.

Drew Brees, Taysom Hill, and Jameis Winston were joined by a few new faces in their trick-shot competition on Friday, including a dark horse candidate to win it all: offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael. Carmichael may not pack quite as much star power as previous guest stars like Zion Williamson and Philip Rivers, but he might have the best arm of anyone on Airline Drive.

See it for yourself in the video we’ve embedded below:

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Saints support Jacob Blake protests in training camp practice

The New Orleans Saints added helmet stickers carrying Jacob Blake’s name during training camp practice, showing solidarity with protestors.

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The police shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wis., has resonated throughout the professional sports world. NBA players staged a strike during their Wednesday playoff series, with WNBA and MLB players also joining them in solidarity. The latest shooting of an unarmed Black person by police has been a tipping point after protests earlier this summer following the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and too many more.

In the NFL, some teams have chosen to postpone or cancel their training camp practice sessions and scrimmages on Thursday. While the New Orleans Saints will be working in their indoor practice facility due to inclement weather from Hurricane Laura, they’ll be making their own tribute to the protests following Blake’s shooting.

Saints cornerback Janoris Jenkins shared a photo on his Instagram account of his practice helmet, which features a sticker carrying Blake’s name. The Saints normally wear stickers listing their surnames in practice, but those appear to have been switched out.

Players also received a flier in their lockers with a photograph of Muhammad Ali, along with a quote from him. Larger posters of the same image have been installed throughout the Saints locker room, per Cameron Jordan’s Instagram account:

While the Saints have not joined other NFL teams in canceling practice on Thursday (and do not plan to, per a report from ESPN’s Dianna Russini), this is very much a developing situation in the sports world at large. Stay tuned for updates.

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Saints legend Marques Colston hired as UNO adjunct professor

New Orleans Saints WR Marques Colston announced that he accepted a position with the University of New Orleans as an adjunct professor.

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Here’s some big news for a fan-favorite former member of the New Orleans Saints: retired wide receiver Marques Colston announced Tuesday evening that he has accepted a position with the University of New Orleans as an adjunct professor, and will begin teaching in their fall semester.

It’s a big career turn for Colston, who hung up his cleats after the 2016 season. He owned every receiving stat in the team record books after a prolific 146-game stint with the Saints. It was enough for him to earn the fifth-best spot in our list of the 100 best players in Saints history last summer. Oh, and the Saints also inducted him to their Ring of Honor in 2019.

Since retiring from the NFL, Colston has been an active entrepreneur with minority ownership stakes in several arena league football teams while partnering with his old teammate Thomas Morstead as partial owners of a New Orleans-based smoothie bar franchise. Colston pursued an MBA at George Washington University and worked with Columbia Business School in creating opportunities for professional athletes. He’s put together quite a diverse portfolio between those interests and his investments in healthcare and technology startups.

Colston also delivered the keynote speech to UNO graduates at their Dec. 2019 commencement, telling them, “Your work ethic, your ability to overcome obstacles and your willingness to persevere are the real keys to success. My journey has embodied that belief. There was no way that a skinny kid from Pennsylvania, who could barely get recruited out of high school, should be here today as the Saints all-time leading receiver.”

While he didn’t announce which course he’ll be teaching, Colston has plenty of experience to offer his students. It’ll be interesting to see where he goes next.

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LOOK: Taysom Hill announces the birth of his son

New Orleans Saints quarterback Taysom Hill had a great explanation for missing two days of training camp practice: the birth of his son Beau

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The New Orleans Saints were without Taysom Hill for two days of practice in training camp, and now we know why: Hill’s family just added one more. Hill and his wife Emily announced the birth of their son Beau Nixon Hill on Saturday in a post from the quarterback’s official Instagram account.

It’s the latest and biggest move for Hill’s household, following the one-year contract extension he signed earlier this summer. Hill, who will be celebrating his 30th birthday on Sunday, spent his offseason preparing to compete with Jameis Winston for the right to back up Drew Brees, and maybe set himself up to start under center as soon as 2021.

But asking whether Hill will be up to the task is a question for another day. For now, he’s focused on being a great father, and we’re certainly wishing the best to him and his young family.

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Saints players wish the best to former rival Ron Rivera after cancer diagnosis

New Orleans Saints leaders Cameron Jordan and Demario Davis wished Washington Football Team coach Ron Rivera well after his cancer diagnosis

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The NFL was shaken late Thursday evening when Washington Football Team coach Ron Rivera announced that he was diagnosed with lymph node cancer, which he described to ESPN’s Adam Schefter as “very treatable and curable.” Rivera, 58, is optimistic that treatment won’t keep him away from football for very long.

Nevertheless, it’s a very serious situation for Rivera’s personal health. And several team leaders of the New Orleans Saints, defensive end Cameron Jordan and linebacker Demario Davis, are sending their best wishes to their longtime rival in the NFC South:

While Rivera is busy building the Washington Football Team from the ground up, his impact on the NFC South can’t be forgotten. The Saints clearly have a healthy respect for what he accomplished.

Rivera’s Carolina Panthers gave the Saints more trouble than any other regime since Sean Payton was hired to run the show in New Orleans. His Panthers teams won the division title three years in a row from 2013 to 2015, and his winning percentage is one of the best among coaches to lead multiple seasons in the NFC South since 2006:

  • Sean Payton (Saints, 2006-2019): 131-77-0, .630
  • Mike Smith (Falcons, 2008-2014): 66-46-0, .589
  • Ron Rivera (Panthers, 2011-2019): 76-63-1, .546
  • Dan Quinn (Falcons, 2015-2019): 43-37-0, .538
  • John Fox (Panthers, 2006-2010): 37-43-0, .463
  • Jon Gruden (Buccaneers, 2006-2008): 22-26-0, .458
  • Dirk Koetter (Buccaneers, 2016-2018): 19-29-0, .396
  • Raheem Morris (Buccaneers, 2009-2011): 17-31-0, .354
  • Greg Schiano (Buccaneers, 2012-2013): 11-21-0, .344
  • Lovie Smith (Buccaneers, 2014-2015): 8-24-0, .250

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Deonte Harris says he’s cleared from NFL’s COVID-19 protocol

All-Pro New Orleans Saints punt returner Deonte Harris announced on Twitter that he has been cleared from the NFL’s reserve/COVID-19 list.

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Here’s some good news: New Orleans Saints wide receiver Deonte Harris announced on Twitter that he is no longer designated to the NFL’s reserve/COVID-19 list, meaning that he has twice tested negative for an infection per league protocol.

The second-year pro out of Assumption College will rejoin his team and look to repeat his breakout performance as a rookie in 2019, which earned him a trip to the Pro Bowl and recognition on the AP All-Pro roster.

Because the NFL maintains confidentiality for players and coaches during COVID-19 testing, it’s unclear why Harris was placed on the list to begin with. He may have registered a false positive test or been in contact with someone who was infection, but it’s all speculation. What’s clear at this point is that he is healthy and ready to return to work.

Hopefully the NFL’s COVID-19 protocol will hold up during the regular season, which is set to begin in a matter of weeks. A recent breakthrough in testing is promising, but it remains to be seen when or how the NFL will implement it. For now, many Saints players and team employees are sequestered at a New Orleans hotel throughout training camp in an attempt at limiting their contact with others, lowering the risk of infection.

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Sean Payton has the perfect response to Cam Jordan being late for practice

New Orleans Saints DE Cameron Jordan was stuck in traffic on his way to practice, and coach Sean Payton seized the moment on Twitter.

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Who among us hasn’t sat frustrated at a traffic light on our way into the office? That’s where New Orleans Saints all-star Cameron Jordan found himself on Wednesday morning, having been caught at a red stoplight while driving to the practice facility.

Jordan bemoaned his luck on Twitter, joking that the lights must know he’s due for his first day of real work on the practice field. Per the NFL’s new rules due to the COVID-19 pandemic, teams are allowed to spend as much as 90 minutes of field work in helmets and shells on Aug. 12, but pads and longer practice times are restricted until Aug. 17.

“Don’t rush,” Jordan joked to the lights from his official Twitter account, “take your time.” The big defensive end recently turned 31, and knows the heat of an early August morning in New Orleans very well. So he knows better than his younger teammates what to expect.

What he may have not known is that Big Brother is watching; Saints coach Sean Payton replied to Jordan on Twitter with a jab, tactfully reminding him that, “Those lights not payin your fine!” for being late to practice.

It’s a great moment, and just the latest example of Payton embracing his online persona during the longer-than-usual NFL offseason. In all seriousness, though, there probably isn’t anything to worry about here. Something tells us the five-time Pro Bowler can skate by if he’s a few minutes tardy for warmups.

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C.J. Gardner-Johnson says he’s changing his name

Former Florida Gators DB and New Orleans Saints safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson said on Instagram that he’s changing his name to Ceedy Duce.

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One of the most electrifying players for the New Orleans Saints will be answering to a new name in 2020: second-year safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson announced on his personal Instagram account that he is changing his name to “Ceedy Duce,” describing his decision as it being “time to pave my way for my own.”

It’s not the first time the safety formerly known as Gardner-Johnson has switched things up. He spent his first two years with the Florida Gators listed as Chauncey Gardner Jr.; in his junior year, he hyphenated his last name to honor his stepfather Brian Johnson.

And when he went pro, he began going by C.J., rather than “Chauncey Jr.” So this isn’t a unprecedented behavior for him, though the meaning behind “Ceedy Duce” isn’t very clear. For now, the roster on the official Saints website lists him as C.J. Gardner-Johnson. We’ll keep an eye out for when and if it changes.

Gardner-Johnson, or Duce, joined the Saints as a fourth-round draft pick last summer and rapidly climbed the depth chart for his playmaking ability. The 5-foot-11, 210-pound defensive back started 7 of 16 games played, doing most of his damage while covering the slot. He deflected 8 passes while returning an interception 28 yards, and fielding a fumble 37 yards. 38 of his 49 combined tackles were solo stops, including half a dozen tackles for loss.

It’s a promising start to his career. Now we’ll see whether he can carve out a starting job while surrounded by a group of veterans including Malcolm Jenkins, P.J. Williams, and Patrick Robinson. Whether he ends up playing mostly in the box as a safety or in the slot as the team’s nickel defender, he’s sure to make an impact.

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Twitter reacts to Cameron Jordan’s NFL-best official headshot

New Orleans Saints defensive end Cameron Jordan takes well-deserved pride in his official NFL photograph for game programs and stats sheets.

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Does anyone have as much with the NFL’s offseason as Cameron Jordan? The New Orleans Saints defensive end has found a way to make light of even the dullest duties, like the equipment-fitting and photograph session early in Saints training camp. A normally boring, hours-long process has turned into Jordan’s latest attempt at going viral.

And it’s due to his new haircut. Jordan has changed up his look almost every summer he’s been in the NFL, trying out new hairstyles, dye jobs, and carefully-trimmed mustaches. In 2020, though, he’s risen to new heights by wearing a throwback of flowing curls and sculpted mutton chops. See it for yourself.

The end result is an immediately-iconic headshot of Jordan, which will grace NFL game programs, stats books, and the league’s official website. It’s just the latest entry in Jordan’s long-running series, but we have to ask: which is the best?

And naturally, there were plenty of thoughts and reactions to Jordan’s new look from his teammates. But even Saints coach Sean Payton got in on the fun:

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First look at Emmanuel Sanders dressed out in his Saints uniform

Pro Bowl WR Emmanuel Sanders will keep his jersey number with the New Orleans Saints, after starring for the 49ers, Broncos, and Steelers.

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The most exciting free agent signing of the New Orleans Saints has finally put on his jersey. Emmanuel Sanders was featured in a series of photos on the official Saints Twitter account proudly decked out in his new team’s gear: helmet, pads, and No. 17 jersey. The single arm sleeve is a great fashion choice, as is the blacked-out visor.

Sanders signed a two-year contract with the Saints after playing just 13 games with the San Francisco 49ers last season (including the playoffs), who acquired him in a last-minute deal from the Denver Broncos at the NFL trade deadline. Sanders gave the Saints a firsthand look at what he’s capable of in a wild regular season performance, notching seven catches for 157 yards and a touchdown (while throwing a 35-yard touchdown pass to running back Raheem Mostert) in the 49ers’ 48-46 win over New Orleans.

Now, the two-time Pro Bowl receiver is playing for the right team. He’s played too many games with mediocre quarterbacks in his 155-game career, but showed last season he has plenty of gas left in the tank at age 33. Combining him with Michael Thomas gives the Saints one of the stronger one-two punches you’ll see around the NFL at receiver, and should have Saints fans very excited.

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