Tre'Quan

Smith

The former longtime Saint is headed to Denver after spending over five seasons in New Orleans. After being placed on injured reserve before the regular season, Smith is looking to provide depth in the Broncos receiving room.

Smith will be the latest in a long line of Sean Payton’s former players to join him in Denver. The Saints placed Smith on injured reserve with a groin injury earlier in the season but ultimately chose to release him this week. Per 9News’s Mike Klis, there was interest around the league in Smith, but the veteran receiver chose a system and coach he is familiar with.

Smith was released by the Saints earlier this week after being placed on injured reserve with a groin injury. Unsurprisingly, he is visiting a Broncos team coached by Sean Payton, who Smith played for from 2018-2021. If Denver signs him, Smith will join a lackluster team that needs an offensive boost, though his injury will keep him low on the fantasy radar.

For the first time in his career, Smith won’t be a Saint. The sixth-year veteran showed flashes during his time in New Orleans, but injuries have kept him from reaching his full potential. He’ll be looking for a new team as he recovers from a groin injury he suffered in training camp.

Smith had already been ruled out for Week 1 with a groin injury and will no miss the first four games of the season, at minimum. Second-year undrafted free agent wide receiver Rashid Shaheed had usurped Smith during the second half of the 2022 season as the team’s preferred slot presence.

Smith underwent groin surgery in August and will be sidelined against Tennessee. It wouldn’t be a surprise if Smith misses more game action as he recovers from the procedure. The Saints are getting thin at wideout, with Smith injured and Rashid Shaheed nursing his own groin injury. If both receivers miss time, preseason standout A.T. Perry could see significant snaps and routes in the early season.

We don’t know a specific timeline for Shaheed’s injury, but it’s possible he’s sidelined for the remainder of training camp. We’ll likely know more about this injury later, but it’s a minor setback for Shaheed, who surprised with a line of 33-484-2 last season. Shaheed is listed as the team’s starting slot receiver, with Tre’Quan Smith being listed behind him. Like Shaheed, Smith is also nursing a groin injury.

Shaheed and Smith appear to be battling for slot snaps alongside Chris Olave and Michael Thomas this season, making the departures from practice something to monitor. Further amplifying information on the respective health and potential fallout from missed time will be provided once made available.

Smith opened the season with a 105-yard outing against the Panthers. He appeared to have a meaningful role in the offense early in the year, topping 40 yards two more times and scoring once before the midpoint of the season. However, he was phased out of the offense in the second half of the year, registering two receptions from Week 10 onward. The Saints could opt to cut him for $1.9 million in savings this offseason.

Smith was second on the team in routes behind Chris Olave, but he’s been held to 43 yards or fewer in five of the last six games despite Michael Thomas and Jarvis Landry missing most of that time. Landry (ankle) should be back for Week 10 against the Steelers, pushing both Smith and Marquez Callaway back down the depth chart.