Tag: New Orleans Saints

Clyde Edwards-Helaire talks return to Louisiana after first Saints practice

Clyde Edwards-Helaire discussed the opportunity to return to Louisiana after his first practice on Thursday, and the call he received from the Saints:

The New Orleans Saints signing of Clyde Edwards-Helaire brings another Louisiana native back to the state, as he was born and raised in Baton Rouge. Edwards-Helaire then went on to play high school football at Catholic High School in Baton Rouge, before moving on to college where he would spend three seasons with LSU, win a National Championship, and move on to the NFL.

He will now have a chance to play at this level with the Saints, and he had the opportunity to discuss this return to the state after his first practice with his new team on Thursday.

Edwards-Helaire told reporters it was too perfect of an opportunity to pass up.

“When I saw that 504 number come across my phone the other day, I couldn’t be more than ecstatic. Being able to come home and put on the black and gold was something I dreamed of as a kid,” Edwards-Helaire said.

He’s a lifelong Saints fan, so this was something of a full-circle moment for him. Edwards-Helaire said his mother had just found some of his old Saints gear during some housecleaning before the team called him: “I had multiple Reggie Bush, Pierre Thomas, and Deuce McAllister posters in my room. My mom was texting me on the way up here, she found my Saints puffer that I used to wear that had my name embroidered on it.”

He will now return home after winning two Super Bowls with the Kansas City Chiefs, as he looks to make an impact on his home town team.

[lawrence-auto-related count=65]

The Saints have already reissued Marshon Lattimore’s jersey number

Clyde Edwards-Helaire is set to wear No. 23 for the Saints, used most recently by now-Washington Commander Marshon Lattimore:

The most recent addition to the New Orleans Saints Clyde Edwards-Helaire seems to have chosen his number (of the limited remaining stock, which is worth noting). He was wearing No.23 Thursday at practice, as can be seen in the above video from Adam Ney of WWL-TV.

The Saints have not been hesitant to hand out numbers of notable players in the past, with the No. 13 jersey worn by Michael Thomas being given to Equanimeous St. Brown just this offseason, and many others being used, as there are only so many available to NFL teams. It seems the number of recently traded cornerback Marshon Lattimore will not be an exception, and in my mind, that is not a problem.

The No. 23 has a long history before Lattimore, with the most notable previous wearer prior to him being Pierre Thomas, who everyone can agree is a legend among Saints fans and well deserving of the praise he receives. Lattimore was also an exceptional player in his time with New Orleans, and will likely be in his time after the Saints as well, which we saw in Week 15.

Ultimately, Edwards-Helaire may get some running time in Week 16 with Alvin Kamara’s status up in the air, and if he does, he will be added to the 16 player list in Saints history of those who have worn the No. 23.

[lawrence-auto-related count=5]

Saints list five players as DNP on Thursday injury report heading into Week 16

The Saints marked five players as DNP on their Thursday injury report ahead of Week 16, including Alvin Kamara and Marquez Valdes-Scantling

The dreaded New Orleans Saints injury report is back, and a day later this week as they prepare for Monday Night Football this week against the Green Bay Packers. They had a few injuries pop up in their Week 15 matchup against the Washington Commanders, and we got some insight into the severity of those injuries, and who may be able to play this week heading forward.

Some of the injuries remained as expected, with Derek Carr (left hand) and Bub Means (ankle) being held out for the first practice. There were also some newer additions however, including Alvin Kamara (groin) who had some recent updates that indicate his injury could be more severe than initially anticipated. Chase Young and Marquez Valdes-Scantling were also new additions, however, the latter was given a day off and should be back Friday.

The Saints also had Juwan Johnson (foot) added to the list, and Chris Olave (head) returning to practice and opening his 21-day availability window for coming off IR. Finally, cornerback Kool-Aid McKinstry (shoulder) was fortunately limited as a full participant after being injured in Week 15.

On the other side of things, the Green Bay Packers had Javon Bullard (ankle) and Quay Walker (ankle) listed as non-participants, both of whom are notable additions. Additionally, Corey Ballentine (knee) and Luke Musgrave (ankle) were listed as limited, with Jaire Alexander (knee) marked as a full participant. Musgrave is also inside his 21-day practice window, as he was designated to return from IR.

Here is the full injury report from both teams:

Image

Rookie Spencer Rattler reinstalled as the Saints starting quarterback

Rattler replaced an ineffective Jake Haener in place of Derek Carr in Week 15 and earned the start against Green Bay on Monday night

Spencer Rattler is once again the starting quarterback for the New Orleans Saints. The team is turning to the fifth-round rookie for Week 16 in place of Jake Haener after Rattler outplayed Haener in the Saints’ Week 15 loss to the Commanders.

Rattler will be under center when the Saints kick off in Green Bay against the Packers on Monday night. The game is expected to be played in the snow, which could present a challenge for the Arizona native, who played collegiately at Oklahoma and South Carolina.

Interim head coach Darren Rizzi noted that Derek Carr remains the starter if he’s able to return from a broken hand.

Rattler started three games earlier in the season with a mixed bag of results, throwing just one touchdown against two INTs (all coming in the Week loss to the Buccaneers) and struggling to move the ball down the field. The start in Green Bay won’t be easy, but it’s an opportunity to gauge Rattler’s improvement in decision-making and ability to impact a defense.

Two former Saints running backs sign with new teams ahead of Week 16

Two former New Orleans Saints running backs have signed with new teams

The New Orleans Saints have had many former players moving around the NFL this season, and two more have now signed with new teams ahead of the Week 16 slate of games. Both players are former Saints running backs who have been on the team within the last year or so and were cut due to the team already having relatively substantial running back depth with four on the active roster and two more on the practice squad.

The first player is Jacob Kibodi, who has signed with the Cleveland Browns practice squad, per Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 Houston. Kibodi was an undrafted free-agent signing for the Saints and had a decent showing in the preseason before being waived and added to the practice squad. He ultimately was released by the Saints earlier in the month and has found a new landing spot with the Cleveland Browns after an injury to Nick Chubb. Kibodi had two touchdowns in a preseason game against the Tennessee Titans earlier in the year, along with 12 rushes for 59 yards.

The second running back is Tony Jones Jr., who will be signing with the Arizona Cardinals practice squad, according to Wilson. Jones has had stops with a few different teams in the last few years, including the Seattle Seahawks, Denver Broncos, and Arizona Cardinals. He had previously been released by the Cardinals with an injury designation in August, however, they have now brought him back a couple of months later. He had two separate stints with the Saints, as well, starting off with New Orleans as an undrafted free agent and remaining from 2020 to 2022, and then returning in 2023 to score his first two career touchdowns against the Carolina Panthers.

Ultimately, with the signing of Clyde Edwards-Helaire, the Saints did not have much room for another running back addition, and now two of their former ones will move on to new teams prior to the Week 16 slate of games.

Chris Olave cleared to resume practicing after meeting with specialist

Chris Olave was cleared to resume practicing this week after meeting with a specialist about his concussions

New Orleans Saints wide receiver Chris Olave could be making a return to the field after making progress in his recovery from multiple concussions suffered this season.

Olave was reportedly cleared to practice after meeting with a specialist Tuesday in an attempt to gain more clarity on his recent concussions.

Head coach Darren Rizzi said that it is unlikely Olave will play Monday against Green Bay but his 21-day practice window will be open, allowing him to get some practice reps this week.

He was back at practice working off to the side in a jersey, which is a good sign overall.

At this point in the year, it may not be worth the risk for Olave to suit up again. However, having him in the lineup would allow us to see Spencer Rattler with his top target, as well as a healthy offensive line in this final stretch.

Alvin Kamara’s groin injury could cause him to miss rest of 2024 season

Alvin Kamara’s groin injury is more significant than initially believed and he could be out for the rest of the season

The New Orleans Saints have received some tough news regarding their star running back Alvin Kamara. Adam Schefter of ESPN reported that Kamara is still being evaluated, but the groin injury he suffered could be season-ending for the veteran.

Nick Underhill of neworleans.football also confirmed this, stating the injury is more significant than initially believed. Kamara is now week-to-week and will likely miss Monday Night Football against the Green Bay Packers.

Underhill provided additional context, as well, stating that Kamara “intends to try and get back before the season is over” and that despite there being lots of work to do to get back on the field, he “hasn’t thrown in the towel on it even though there are only three games left.”

This provides some insight into the signing of Clyde Edwards-Helaire on Wednesday afternoon, as the Saints are likely preparing to play without Kamara on Monday. They will need the additional depth behind Kendre Miller, Jamaal Williams, and Jordan Mims.

If Kamara is able to return, it could be contingent on the Saints’ outlook. If they’re eliminated after this week, it may be best to rest him and have him ready for the 2025 season instead.

Saints are making another change at QB, starting Spencer Rattler in Week 16

The Saints are making another change at quarterback this week with Derek Carr likely out, turning to rookie Spencer Rattler

The New Orleans Saints have announced their starting quarterback for Week 16, turning to rookie Spencer Rattler instead of Jake Haener, who got the Week 15 start. The Saints are unsure of the status of Derek Carr for this and the rest of the season, and it seems that he will need more time to recover – something that’s expected given the nature of the injury.

Rattler came in for the second half of the Saints’ Week 15 game against the Washington Commanders and managed to drag the Saints back into that matchup with a strong performance.

However, despite the Saints ultimately falling short of the win, he seemed to give New Orleans a better chance of winning than Haener did.

This will be Rattler’s fourth start of the season. He also started three games that Carr missed earlier in the season, so we will see how he has improved compared to his first few games.

Coach Darren Rizzi did later clarify that Rattler will only start if Carr cannot. Rattler took first-team reps in practice on Thursday so he seems likely to get the call.

Joe Buck, Troy Aikman on the call for Saints Week 16 matchup in Green Bay

Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, and Lisa Salters will be on the call for the Saints’ Week 16 matchup against the Green Bay Packers:

The New Orleans Saints are back in a primetime slot for the first time in a little while, and this time they will take on the Green Bay Packers in Week 16 at Lambeau Field. With this, they are on Monday Night Football, which will be covered by the ESPN crew of Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, and Lisa Salters.

Buck and Aikman are a pairing that fans may recognize as one of the more unfavorable announcing crews of the options available, as Buck has been perceived to have a general lack of emotion in his commentary at some points, and Aikman has a few different criticisms from different points of view. Ultimately in recent games, they have been better, however, and it seems the quality of their broadcasts has improved lately which is a great sign.

In a game that could be slow-moving to start off due to strong defenses and weather conditions, this could be a perfect point of emphasis for the crew of Buck, Aikman, and Salters to use to their advantage, as they can analyze the play and schemes of each team as they work through the opening parts of the matchup. Aikman’s analysis from the point of view of a former player always provides some level of quality content, and Buck has strong analysis as well at many points. Pairing them up with Salters is a good choice, as she has immense experience as well and knowledge of the game.

[lawrence-auto-related count=5]

How to buy Green Bay Packers vs. New Orleans Saints NFL Week 16 tickets

Want to watch the Packers and Saints battle on Monday Night Football in person in Week 16? Tickets start as low as $116.

The Green Bay Packers are looking to use their “Monday Night Football” clash with the New Orleans Saints as a prime-time opportunity to clinch a place in the 2024 NFL postseason.

With a win on their home turf of Lambeau Field, the Packers (10-4) are in. It’s that simple.

While it’s a long shot, a look at the NFC North title is not yet off the table, either.

Even so, New Orleans will not just hand it to them, especially with a national audience watching.

The Saints (5-9) are just playing for pride at this point. While not mathematically eliminated, the postseason is all but over for New Orleans.

However, with Spencer Rattler looking like the starter under center, Saints fans could get a look at their future in primetime.

[afflinkbutton text=”Shop Packers vs. Saints tickets” link=”https://stubhub.prf.hn/l/W4EXjpq/”]

There is plenty to watch for both sides in this one.

This upcoming matchup kicks off on Monday, Dec. 23, at 8:15 p.m. from Lambeau Field.

Don’t miss out on your chance to see it in person. Act soon to catch this Monday Night Football matchup as only limited Packers vs. Saints tickets are still available.

How to buy Packers vs. Saints NFL tickets

Playoff picture aside, “Monday Night Football” is always a spectacle. It can bring the best out in any team, any week.

Here’s what you need to know.

At the time of publication, the cheapest available tickets for the Green Bay Packers and New Orleans Saints are $116.

[afflinkbutton text=”Shop Packers vs. Saints tickets” link=”https://stubhub.prf.hn/l/W4EXjpq/”]