The Saints placed rookie receiver Bub Means on the non-football injury list.
Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football reports that Means’ injury isn’t serious, and Means “plans to do the conditioning test soon and the expectation is that he’ll be good to go quickly.”
The Saints can remove Means from the list at any time.
The team made him a fifth-round draft pick, and he joins a room that has Chris Olave, Rashid Shaheed, Cedrick Wilson and Equanimeous St. Brown as the Saints replace Michael Thomas.
Means began his college career at the University of Tennessee as a defensive back. He played four games to preserve a redshirt and transferred to Louisiana Tech.
After moving to wide receiver, he made 22 catches for 430 yards and two touchdowns in 2021.
He then transferred to the University of Pittsburgh, where he made 68 receptions for 1,122 yards and eight touchdowns in two seasons.
Saints Clips
J.T. Gray has never played more than 41 snaps on defense in any of his six NFL seasons, but he has stuck with the Saints because of his special teams abilities.
Gray made All-Pro and the Pro Bowl as a special teamer in 2021, and he has played more than 300 special teams snaps in each of the past four seasons.
That’s why Gray is excited about the NFL’s new format for kickoffs.
“So, [the new kickoff rule] is pretty interesting,” Gray told Steve Wyche of NFL Media. “Just going in this year in OTAs, we have been practicing that since Day 1. Since implementing the new rule, I feel like it’s changing the value of the special teams. I feel like it’s going to be a great thing because you are going to get action in every first play of the game. I feel like that’s going to be a great thing for the NFL and a great thing for the fans to see.”
The NFL’s kickoff rule, which is a version of the one used in the XFL, could bring action back to a play that had become “ceremonial.” Or kickoffs could remain a dead play.
Some worry that with touchbacks at the 30-yard line, teams will just opt to kick it through the end zone as they have been doing.
The Saints will be in good shape if teams choose to allow them to return kickoffs, with Rashid Shaheed having earned Pro Bowl honors last season.
Former NFL defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin died Thursday in Oxford, Mississippi, surrounded by family and friends, the University of Mississippi announced. Kiffin was 84.
“As his grandson Knox said, he’s free of pain and smiling down on us from above. Please keep the Kiffin family in your thoughts and prayers during this time,” Ole Miss said in its statement.
Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin is Monte’s son.
Kiffin spent almost 30 years coaching in the NFL and ranks as the longest-tenured coach in Buccaneers franchise history. He was with the Bucs from 1996-2008 under Tony Dungy (1996-2001) and Jon Gruden (2002-08) and is in the team’s Ring of Honor.
Kiffin joined Dungy’s coaching staff as defensive coordinator in 1996 and helped create and implement the Tampa 2 defense. The team’s defense improved from 27th overall in 1995 to 11th in Kiffin’s first year as coordinator.
During Kiffin’s 13 seasons leading Tampa Bay’s defense, the unit ranked in the top 10 in yards allowed 11 times and in points allowed 12 times. During that same 13-year span, the defense led the league in points allowed per game (17.5), ranked second in takeaways (293) and yards allowed per game (286.8), third in interceptions (249) and 10th in total sacks (503).
Under Kiffin’s leadership, eight different Buccaneers defensive players made a combined 36 Pro Bowl appearances, while six also earned All-Pro team recognition. Warren Sapp, Derrick Brooks, Ronde Barber and John Lynch are in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Kiffin was the Cowboys defensive coordinator in 2013.
He also served as an assistant coach with the Packers, Bills, Vikings, Saints and Jaguars.
Kiffin, the head coach at North Carolina State from 1980-82, also was an assistant for his son at three different stops.
Kiffin was at the Pro Football Hall of Fame two weeks ago to receive an Award of Excellence.
The Saints selected quarterbacks in each of the last two NFL drafts, taking Jake Haener in the fourth round in 2023 and Spencer Rattler in the fifth round in 2024. Those two will compete in training camp this year.
Saints coach Dennis Allen said Haener and Rattler will be given plenty of opportunities to prove they deserve to be the No. 2 quarterback behind Derek Carr, and that the final decision likely won’t come until the start of the regular season.
“That thing is going to battle out all throughout training camp,” Allen said, via Katherine Terrell of ESPN.
Allen said he doesn’t want his young quarterbacks to be afraid to take chances, but he knows they’ll quickly learn that you can get away with mistakes in college that you can’t get away with in the NFL.
“Part of it, out here during this time, and even during training camp, is figuring out what you can do and what you can’t do,” Allen said during OTAs, “And if I never really take a chance, then I never really know what you can or can’t do in our league. And I think you find out here that the windows close a little faster than they do in college.”
Nathan Peterman is also on the Saints’ roster, but he appears to be a long shot to earn the No. 2 job. The Saints want their two young quarterbacks to battle it out, and hope that one of them proves he’s ready if called upon.
Training camp is coming. When the 32 teams gather for preseason practices, several high-profile players might not be present, if they force the issue on getting new contracts.
So which names are the ones to watch? Funny you should ask, even if you didn’t.
The goal of this item is to list all of the potential veteran holdouts, with some explanation and analysis of each situation.
That said, there’s a chance some of the players listed below will “hold in.” That’s a fairly new trend where the player shows up for training camp but doesn’t practice while negotiations continue. The only problem with this approach is that, if/when there’s no deal, at some point it’s time to practice and play. For the player who never shows up, it’s easier to keep holding firm. And the pressure remains even more pronounced on the team if the player isn’t there.
The following list has no particular order to it, other than the fact that I went through the eight divisions from AFC East to AFC North to AFC South to AFC West before doing the same in the NFC when compiling the list.
Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa
He wants a market deal. The Dolphins have yet to offer one, or they’d already have an agreement. At some point before training camp opens, the Dolphins will make an offer far better than the $23.1 million he’s due to make in his option year. To get what he wants, Tua’s best and only play might be to hold out.
Dolphins receiver Tyreek Hill
He’s doing everything he can to put a happy face on a contract situation that has him nearly as unhappy as he was two years ago in Kansas City. Still, the market has passed him by. Even though he says he’s making $30 million per year, he’s at $25 million — behind teammate Jaylen Waddle.
Hill seems to believe the Dolphins will adjust his contract. Maybe they will, maybe they won’t. Maybe, at most, they’ll move some of the $45 million he’s due to make in 2026 into 2024, where he’s south of $20 million. If that’s not good enough, maybe he’ll stay away in order to get a deal that compares favorably to other high-end receivers.
Patriots linebacker Matt Judon
Judon skipped some of the offseason program as he enters the final year of his contract. He showed up for mandatory minicamp.
Last year, he held in. This year, he said he won’t be “throwing tantrums.”
One way to not throw tantrums is to not show up. Still, he has made it clear that he plans to show up. While plans can change, his mindset as of last month was to show up and get to work.
Jets linebacker Haason Reddick
The Jets traded for a guy who wanted a new contract without signing him to a new contract. It should be no surprise, then, that he skipped the entire offseason program.
Will he show up for camp? No one knows at this point. The possibility that he won’t underscores the magnitude of the mistake the Jets made in trading for him without getting him signed.
Yeah, the Jets supposedly thought they had a verbal understanding with Reddick that he’d show up for the offseason and they’d eventually do something with his contract. As we’ve seen time and again, verbal understandings aren’t worth the paper they aren’t printed on.
Bengals receiver Ja’Marr Chase
On the day Justin Jefferson got his new deal, the Bengals could have worked out a contract for Chase that same day. And they should have.
It should be easy to get to the new-money number Chase wants. Although Chase showed up for mandatory minicamp, he could decide to take a stand if the Bengals keep dragging their feet.
The good news for the Bengals is that receiver Tee Higgins has signed his franchise tender. Since training camp opens after the deadline for doing a long-term deal, there’s nothing to be gained by staying away. He has opted to accept $21.8 million for 2024, followed by a likely shot at free agency in March, given the team’s longstanding habit of tagging a player for one year before letting him walk away.
Browns receiver Amari Cooper
Cooper skipped mandatory minicamp in an effort to get a deal to replace the final year of his current contract, with a base salary of $20 million. If he doesn’t get a new deal by the start of camp, a holdout can’t be ruled out.
Broncos receiver Courtland Sutton
Sutton showed up for mandatory minicamp despite wanting a new deal. (He’s due to make only $13 million this season.) He hasn’t ruled out a holdout.
Cowboys receiver CeeDee Lamb
Lamb reportedly won’t attend camp without a deal that replaces the $17.9 million he’s due to make in the final year of his rookie contract. Will the Cowboys give him what he wants? As explained Monday, there’s a way to do it while also creating current-year cap space. Which would be a win-win for a team desperately hoping to engineer some wins in the playoffs.
Cowboys linebacker Micah Parsons
Parsons has said he’ll be patient when it comes to getting a new contract. He shouldn’t be.
He’s one of the best defensive players in football. He shouldn’t risk his health for less than $3 million in 2024. He should refuse to practice or play until he gets paid.
Yes, he attended mandatory minicamp. So did Ezekiel Elliott in 2019. And then Zeke didn’t show up for training camp.
Without a new contract, Parsons should do the same.
Packers quarterback Jordan Love
There’s currently no reason to think the Packers and Love won’t get a new deal done before training camp opens. If they don’t, however, why should Love show up?
He’s due to make only $11 million this year. He needs to be willing to take a stand, if his contract situation isn’t resolved before the Packers head to training camp.
Buccaneers tackle Tristan Wirfs
With only $18.44 million in salary for 2024, he’s been looking for a new deal all year. He showed up at mandatory minicamp. Again, that’s no guarantee he’ll show up for training camp unless he gets a contract offer that prompts him to sign on the dotted line.
Saints running back Alvin Kamara
Kamara left mandatory minicamp early, due to frustration with contract talks. He wants security beyond 2024, given that the team will tear up next year’s phony-baloney $25 million compensation package.
Will he skip camp without a new deal? We’ll find out when camp opens.
49ers receiver Brandon Aiyuk
Much has been said about Aiyuk and the 49ers and whether he will or won’t be traded. He ultimately needs to ask himself whether he’s willing to show up and play for $14.1 million in 2024 — or whether he wants to draw a line in the sand.
Short of a long-term, market-level deal, the 49ers could give him a sweetener and/or agree not to tag him in 2025. For now, there’s been nothing other than a staring contest augmented by the various things Aiyuk has said, on social media and elsewhere.
When it’s time to show up for camp, we’ll see if he does.
Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford
Stafford has wanted more guarantees for a while. He should also want more money. A deal hasn’t been done yet.
If it doesn’t happen before camp opens, who knows? Given the lack of high-end options on the roster, Stafford had plenty of leverage. If he chooses to use it.
Bills edge rusher Von Miller began holding offseason pass rushing summits in 2017 and he hopes to see them continue after he stops playing in the NFL.
That’s why Miller had help hosting this offseason’s session. Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby and Saints defensive end Cam Jordan joined Miller in that role with Crosby seen as a long-term part of the picture since he is 27 and the other two players are in their mid-30s.
Crosby has attended the summit in past years and called it a “no-brainer” to expand his involvement.
“Every rusher’s different,” Crosby said, via Tashan Reed of TheAthletic.com. “I can’t do what Von does. Von can’t do what I do. Football and pass rush in general is an art form. We come in all shapes and sizes. It’s not like I’m sitting here worried about handing out information. I feel like you learn more as a player by teaching. . . . I can help somebody else grow, I feel like it comes back twofold.”
Miller said he hopes the involvement of Crosby and others means the plan to continue the annual meetings is “sustainable” even after he hangs up the cleats.
With construction ongoing at their team headquarters in Louisiana, the Saints will primarily hold 2024 training camp in Southern California.
But the team announced on Monday that there will be a pair of open sessions in New Orleans for local fans.
The Saints will practice at Tulane’s Yulman Stadium on Tuesday, Aug. 20 and at the Caesars Superdome on Friday, Aug. 23.
Further information on how fans can attend and times for the practices will be announced at a later date.
New Orleans will hold most of training camp at UC Irvine. The Saints are one of five teams who will be in Southern California this summer, joining the Rams, Chargers, Cowboys, and Raiders. New Orleans will also hold joint practices with the 49ers on Aug. 15 and 16.
He left the team’s mandatory minicamp, due to his dissatisfaction with his contract. The next question is whether Saints running back Alvin Kamara will show up for training camp.
Jeremy Fowler of ESPN has suggested that Kamara possibly will hold out of camp. Maybe he will, maybe he won’t. Because he’s on his second contract, the daily fines would be non-waivable. The Saints will have to collect the money, whenever he shows up.
Kamara has a $10.2 million base salary this year. The problem comes in 2025, when his compensation package sparks to $25 million. The Saints undoubtedly will tear up the contract after the coming season. Kamara is trying to get more money, and presumably greater security, before the 2024 campaign begins.
The two sides have been trying to work out a revised deal. They clearly haven’t been able to reach a middle ground. If they don’t before the opening of camp, the question becomes whether he shows up.
The Ravens have added a veteran receiver.
Baltimore announced on Friday that the club has signed Keith Kirkwood.
Kirkwood, 29, had participated in the Ravens’ minicamp on a tryout basis.
He appeared in 13 games with four starts last season for the Saints, catching five passes for 37 yards. He was also on the field for 89 special teams snaps.
In 31 career games since entering the league in 2018, Kirkwood has caught 24 passes for 294 yards with three touchdowns.
Former Saints defensive back Steve Gleason’s fight against ALS has earned much recognition over the years and he will be honored again at the ESPY Awards in July.
ESPN announced on Thursday that Gleason will receive the Arthur Ashe Award for Courage at the event on July 11 in Los Angeles. The award is given to those whose contributions to the world transcend sports and, per ESPN, possess “strength in the face of adversity, courage in the face of peril and the willingness to stand up for their beliefs no matter what the cost.”
Gleason was diagnosed with ALS in 2011 and has devoted his life to raising awareness about the disease and helping others battling it since that diagnosis. He was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal in 2019 for his efforts and has worked to make life-sustaining communication devices more available to others in his position.
Jim Valvano, Muhammad Ali, Billie Jean King, Pat Tillman, and Bill Russell are among other recipients of the award.
