Saints fans grew accustomed to rooting for Sean Payton to win games in the Superdome, but they won’t be doing that in Week Seven this season.
Payton will be back on the sidelines in New Orleans for the first time since parting ways with the Saints after the 2021 season when the Broncos come to town for a Thursday night game. Payton’s return to town will stream on Amazon Prime.
The Saints went 152-89 in 16 years under Payton that included a Super Bowl title, nine playoff appearances and a one-year suspension for the head coach after the league found he tried to cover up a bounty program. Dennis Allen was promoted from defensive coordinator to head coach in New Orleans when Payton left, so the matchup will include two coaches that know each other well.
It will also feature a pair of teams experiencing multi-year playoff droughts, so there will motivation to win beyond the relationship between Payton and the Saints.
Defensive lineman Kendal Vickers has found a new home in New Orleans.
The Saints announced Vickers’s signing on Monday afternoon. They also confirmed the previously reported signing of offensive lineman Lucas Patrick.
Vickers appeared in two games and made two tackles for the Bills last season. He played in 25 games for the Raiders over the previous three seasons and recorded 20 tackles, two sacks, and three tackles for loss while with the AFC West club. Vickers has also spent time in the Canadian Football League.
In addition to the two additions to the roster, the Saints announced that they have waived defensive tackle John Penisini.
The Saints agreed to terms with offensive lineman Lucas Patrick on a one-year deal Sunday, his agents, Joel and Justin Turner, announced.
Patrick, 30, spent the past two seasons with the Bears after five seasons with the Packers.
He started 15 games at center in 2023 and also has played right guard and left guard in his seven-year career. He has appeared in 96 games with 54 starts in his career.
Patrick entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent, signing with the Packers in 2016.
Jarvis Landry wants back in.
After not playing in 2023, the former Pro Bowl receiver is taking part in rookie minicamp with the Jaguars.
Is Landry willing to let a down year in 2022 with the Saints be his last act in football?
“The competitor in me says no,” Landry said, via Michael DiRocco of ESPN.com. “But again, whatever. Whatever’s in God’s hands, in his cards, I just kind of rock with that.”
The first step is to do enough to get the Jaguars to give Landry a spot on the 90-man roster. Then, his job becomes making it to the final 53.
In 2022, Landry appeared in nine games with 25 catches for 272 yards and one touchdown.
A second-round pick of the Dolphins in 2014, Landry was spectacular from 2014 through 2019. His production began to tail off in 2020. It took a big drop in 2021.
Landry spent 2014 through 2017 with the Dolphins, and 2018 through 2021 with the Browns. He’s a five-time Pro Bowler.
If things work out for Landry in Jacksonville or elsewhere, great. If not, it at least gives him some closure.
The Saints have signed five more draft picks.
The team announced Thursday night it has gotten fifth-round quarterback Spencer Rattler, fifth-round receiver Bub Means, fifth-round linebacker Jaylan Ford, sixth-round defensive tackle Khristian Boyd and seventh-round offensive tackle Josiah Ezirim under contract.
First-round offensive tackle Taliese Fuaga signed earlier in the day.
It leaves only second-round cornerback Kool-Aid McKinstry as the unsigned draft pick.
Rattler, the 150th overall pick, played three seasons at Oklahoma and two seasons at South Carolina. In his career, he completed 68.5 percent of his passes for 10,807 yards with 77 touchdowns and 32 interceptions and rushed for 16 scores.
He joins a quarterbacks room with Derek Carr and Jake Haener.