Carr was one of the biggest names available on the free agent market and drew interest from the New York Jets, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and the Carolina Panthers. However, the familiarity with the Saints head coach Dennis Allen, who was with the Las Vegas Raiders when they drafted Carr in 2014, played a key role in the player choosing New Orleans as his new destination.

“Derek is an outstanding addition to the New Orleans Saints, and I can’t wait to get working with him and the rest of our team this offseason, “said Allen in a statement.

The Saints have not shared the financial terms of Carr’s deal, but NFL Network reports that the 31-year-old player will get $150 million over four years, including $100 million in guarantees. He also gets a no-trade clause.

Derek Carr joins the Saints after spending the first nine years of his career with the Raiders. During that time, the Fresno State product earned four Pro Bowl nods, including one in 2022, and led the franchise to two playoff appearances. However, the Raiders decided they would start fresh at the QB position after 2022 and released Carr in February after failing to trade him.

In Carr, the Saints get a dependable player who might not have a high ceiling but will bring stability to the position that has seen little consistency since Drew Brees retired in 2020. In the past two years, New Orleans started Jameis Winston, Taysom Hill, Trevor Siemian, Ian Book, and Andy Dalton under center.

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Speaking with reporters, the Saints’ head coach Dennis Allen said that Winston playing against the Vikings is doubtful, as he has not practiced all week.

“So our plan right now is to have Andy ready to go,” Allen said. “We’ll see how things go overnight, but Andy will be ready to go if that’s the direction that we go.”

This would be Andy Dalton’s debut appearance in the Saints’ uniform. The 34-year-old inked a one-year deal with the franchise in the offseason after starting six games and going 3-3 with the Chicago Bears in 2021.

Dalton was previously a starter for the Cincinnati Bengals between 2011 and 2019 and spent one season with the Dallas Cowboys as well. He has 35,279 career passing yards and 226 touchdowns.

While Winston could still end up playing on Sunday, Allen confirmed that wideout Michael Thomas would definitely be out against the Vikings with a foot injury. Thomas previously missed the whole of 2021 while recovering from foot surgery before making a comeback in 2022. He has 16 catches for 171 yards and three touchdowns so far.

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Jenkins ended his football career despite having two more years left on his four-year, $32 million contract. He broke the news while appearing on The Pivot podcast on Wednesday.

“I played the game at the highest level for 13 seasons,” Jenkins said. “And I have accomplished Super Bowls, Pro Bowl, all that there is to do in this game. And when I came in, I always wanted to make an impact on the game on and off the field. And I just feel like at this point I’ve accomplished that.”

The Saints drafted Malcolm Jenkins with the first-round pick in the 2009 NFL Draft. The Ohio State product initially spent five years in New Orleans, helping the franchise win its first Super Bowl and earning one Second-Team All-Pro nod. After his rookie contract expired, Jenkins signed as a free agent with the Philadelphia Eagles.

In Philly, Jenkins had an even more successful stint. He made three Pro Bowls while winning another Super Bowl. His spell with the Eagles ended in 2020 when he became a free agent and decided to return to New Orleans.

Jenkins is expected to remain busy despite retiring from football. He is currently involved in a number of projects, including his production company Listen Up Media and serving as a political analyst for CNN. The 34-year-old player also has plans for a scripted comedy series based on his life.

The post Saints Safety Malcolm Jenkins Announces Retirement After 13 Seasons in NFL appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

Payton made the announcement via press conference, during which he said he still doesn’t know what his next move will be. According to the 58-year-old, he is not retiring but won’t pursue a new coaching job in 2022. Instead, he left the door open for a gig as a television personality.

“I’ll be honest with ya, that might be coaching again at some point,” Payton told the reporters. “I don’t think it’s this year, I think maybe in the future, but that’s not where my heart is right now. It’s not at all.”

The news about Payton stepping down came as a surprise to many, but internally, the Saints knew this was possible. It was believed that Payton was exhausted after a challenging season that saw the Saints starting four different quarterbacks, dealing with injuries to their star players, and being forced to relocate to Dallas due to hurricanes. Still, New Orleans finished with a 9-8 record and narrowly missed out on the playoffs.

The Saints are expected to consider multiple candidates for their head coaching vacancy, but most of the league believes they will go with an in-home hire. The best chances are given to defensive coordinator Dennis Allen, who already served as a head coach when Payton was out due to COVID-19 protocols.

Sean Payton joined the New Orleans Saints in 2006 after previously working as an assistant head coach and quarterbacks coach with the Dallas Cowboys. He compiled a 161–97 head coaching record during his time with the franchise, including going 152–89 in the regular season and 9-8 in the playoffs. Payton led the Saints to their only Super Bowl trophy in 2009.

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The Saints went after Brady from the get-go, pressuring him into early throws or forcing him to take a sack. They were so efficient that Brady managed to throw for 214 yards while completing just 54.2 percent of his passes. Both were season-lows for the 44-year-old.

At the end of the game, Brady also had one interception, one forced fumble, and was sacked four times.

The Saints will likely cherish the shutout even more, knowing that they helped franchise legend Drew Brees preserve his record for most games without a shutout (304). Entering the game against New Orleans, Brady had an active streak of 255 games in which his offense put up points on board.

Brady’s struggles on Sunday night were no coincidence. Since he arrived in Tampa ahead of the 2020 NFL season, the Saints were his toughest matchup, and he lost all four times he played against them in the regular season. However, he did get the better of them in the playoffs last season when the Bucs beat New Orleans en route to Super Bowl.

By losing to the Saints, the Bucs have diminished their chances of getting the top seed in NFC. They are currently 10-4 while the conference leaders, Green Bay Packers, have 11-3 and own a tiebreaker.

The Saints, on the other hand, improved to a 7-7 record and kept their playoff chances alive.

The post Saints Defense Gives Tom Brady His First Shutout Since 2006 appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

Vaccaro, who most recently played with the Tennessee Titans during the 2020 NFL season, announced his decision on social media.

“Technically I am still a free agent,” Vaccaro said when contacted by ESPN. “But this is where my mind has been the past six months. I’m happy where I’m at, doing what I’m doing. I just really felt like this was something deep down inside that I wanted to do.”

Vaccaro added that he had offers from multiple NFL franchises who offered him a chance to return to football, but he wasn’t interested in getting back on the field.

Kenny Vaccaro entered the NFL as New Orleans Saints’ 15th overall pick in the 2013 NFL Draft. He spent five seasons in New Orleans, making 67 starts with the franchise and contributing with 385 tackles, 30 passes defended, eight interceptions, 7.5 sacks, and four forced fumbles.

After the Saints decided not to renew his contract following the 2017 NFL season, Vaccaro joined the Titans. He started all 42 games he played in Tennessee, but the franchise decided to release him this offseason. He was two years into the four-year, $26 million contract extension he inked in 2019.

The post Veteran Safety Kenny Vaccaro Shuns NFL Return in Favor of Esports appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

Winston got hurt after a scramble in the second quarter that ended with him being horse-collar tackled by the Bucs’ Devin White. The 27-year-old’s knee bent awkwardly during the play, and he had to be helped off the field. He was later seen on the cart heading to the locker room and didn’t return to the game.

During a chat with reporters after the game, the Saints’ head coach Sean Payton said he doesn’t know too much about Winston’s injury but thinks “it’s significant.”

“He felt something. He’s on crutches right now,” said Payton. “I don’t wanna say until I have a chance to talk with the doctors, but when he got up and had to go back down, you were a little concerned.”

While the Saints apparently hope for the best, the first reports are not so optimistic. According to NFL Network’s insider Ian Rapoport, Winston is most likely dealing with an ACL injury and could have damage to his MCL. If this turns out true, he will be out for the remainder of the season.

In Winston’s absence, the Saints turned to veteran Trevor Siemian to finish the game. Siemian had a solid outing, completing 16 passes out of 29 attempted while throwing for 159 yards and a touchdown.

Besides Siemian, New Orleans also has versatile Taysom Hill as an option on the quarterback position. Hill has been in the concussion protocol since Week 5 but is expected to return for the Saint’s next game.

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According to Schefter, the Saints made a move after unsuccessfully approaching Murray with a salary reduction proposal earlier this week. The 31-year-old player was set to earn $3.15 million this season according to the four-year, $14.4 million contract he signed with the franchise in 2019.

Murray played well for the Saints last season, managing to rush for 656 yards and four touchdowns in a backup role behind Pro Bowler Alvin Kamara. He was also useful in the passing game, making 23 catches for 176 yards and one score.

But despite his production, the Saints were comfortable walking away from Murray after 2020’s undrafted pickup Tony Jones Jr. showed potential in the preseason. Jones, who spent much of the last season on the team’s practice squad, rushed for 106 yards and a TD in two preseason games while also managing to come down with six receptions for 42 yards.

Given his track record, Latavius Murray should have no trouble landing a spot on an NFL team before Week 1. Murray, who also played with the Raiders and Minnesota Vikings in the past, has 4,991 career rushing yards and 43 rushing touchdowns. He has one Pro Bowl nod from 2015.

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The league said that the decision was made “in consultation with state and local officials and both clubs, in the interest of public safety.” The game will keep its original date of September 12th and kickoff time of 4:25 PM ET.

The Saints and the NFL chose the TIAA Bank Field as it was the closest available option. The stadium is free since the Jaguars play their Week 1 game on the road.

The Saints have been evacuated from New Orleans before Hurricane Ida reached the city and have been practicing at the Dallas Cowboys’ AT&T Stadium for the past several days. Moving forward, the team will conduct practices in Fort Worth, Texas, at the stadium of TCU Football.

The Saints will now have to wait until October 3rd and game against the New York Giants to play their first 2021 NFL season game in New Orleans. They are already scheduled to spend Week 2 and Week 3 on the road, playing away games against the Carolina Panthers and New England Patriots, respectively.

The post Saints and Packers to Play Their Season Opener in Jacksonville appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

Thomas had ankle issues since the start of the last season and was limited to playing only seven games in 2020. The injury turned out to be more significant than it was initially believed and involved torn ligaments, which forced the 28-year-old star to have the procedure.

NFL Network‘s Ian Rapoport reports that this kind of surgery requires four months of recovery, putting Thomas on track to miss the first month of the season and maybe even more.

Thomas being out represents a major blow for the Saints’ hopes to remain competitive. The franchise will enter the season without their longtime quarterback Drew Brees, who retired in March, while already being thin at the wide receiver position.

After releasing veteran Emmanuel Sanders earlier in the offseason, New Orleans will have to rely heavily on an unproven core consisting of 2018’s third-round pick Tre’Quan Smith, last year’s undrafted free agent acquisition Marquez Callaway, and return specialist Deonte Harris.

Michael Thomas has been a go-to guy for the Saints on offense since being selected in the second round of the 2016 NFL Draft. In five years as a pro, he managed to catch 510 receptions for 5,950 yards while also coming down with 32 touchdowns.  Thomas has three Pro Bowl nods and two First-Team All-Pro selections while also being named NFL Offensive Player of the Year in 2019 after breaking the NFL’s record for most receptions in a single season with 149.

The post Saints WR Michael Thomas Set to Miss the Start of 2021 NFL Season Due to Ankle Surgery appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

Carr was one of the biggest names available on the free agent market and drew interest from the New York Jets, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and the Carolina Panthers. However, the familiarity with the Saints head coach Dennis Allen, who was with the Las Vegas Raiders when they drafted Carr in 2014, played a key role in the player choosing New Orleans as his new destination.

“Derek is an outstanding addition to the New Orleans Saints, and I can’t wait to get working with him and the rest of our team this offseason, “said Allen in a statement.

The Saints have not shared the financial terms of Carr’s deal, but NFL Network reports that the 31-year-old player will get $150 million over four years, including $100 million in guarantees. He also gets a no-trade clause.

Derek Carr joins the Saints after spending the first nine years of his career with the Raiders. During that time, the Fresno State product earned four Pro Bowl nods, including one in 2022, and led the franchise to two playoff appearances. However, the Raiders decided they would start fresh at the QB position after 2022 and released Carr in February after failing to trade him.

In Carr, the Saints get a dependable player who might not have a high ceiling but will bring stability to the position that has seen little consistency since Drew Brees retired in 2020. In the past two years, New Orleans started Jameis Winston, Taysom Hill, Trevor Siemian, Ian Book, and Andy Dalton under center.

The post Ex-Raiders QB Derek Carr Signs With the New Orleans Saints appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

Speaking with reporters, the Saints’ head coach Dennis Allen said that Winston playing against the Vikings is doubtful, as he has not practiced all week.

“So our plan right now is to have Andy ready to go,” Allen said. “We’ll see how things go overnight, but Andy will be ready to go if that’s the direction that we go.”

This would be Andy Dalton’s debut appearance in the Saints’ uniform. The 34-year-old inked a one-year deal with the franchise in the offseason after starting six games and going 3-3 with the Chicago Bears in 2021.

Dalton was previously a starter for the Cincinnati Bengals between 2011 and 2019 and spent one season with the Dallas Cowboys as well. He has 35,279 career passing yards and 226 touchdowns.

While Winston could still end up playing on Sunday, Allen confirmed that wideout Michael Thomas would definitely be out against the Vikings with a foot injury. Thomas previously missed the whole of 2021 while recovering from foot surgery before making a comeback in 2022. He has 16 catches for 171 yards and three touchdowns so far.

The post Saints Preparing to Start Andy Dalton at QB for the Vikings Game appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

Jenkins ended his football career despite having two more years left on his four-year, $32 million contract. He broke the news while appearing on The Pivot podcast on Wednesday.

“I played the game at the highest level for 13 seasons,” Jenkins said. “And I have accomplished Super Bowls, Pro Bowl, all that there is to do in this game. And when I came in, I always wanted to make an impact on the game on and off the field. And I just feel like at this point I’ve accomplished that.”

The Saints drafted Malcolm Jenkins with the first-round pick in the 2009 NFL Draft. The Ohio State product initially spent five years in New Orleans, helping the franchise win its first Super Bowl and earning one Second-Team All-Pro nod. After his rookie contract expired, Jenkins signed as a free agent with the Philadelphia Eagles.

In Philly, Jenkins had an even more successful stint. He made three Pro Bowls while winning another Super Bowl. His spell with the Eagles ended in 2020 when he became a free agent and decided to return to New Orleans.

Jenkins is expected to remain busy despite retiring from football. He is currently involved in a number of projects, including his production company Listen Up Media and serving as a political analyst for CNN. The 34-year-old player also has plans for a scripted comedy series based on his life.

The post Saints Safety Malcolm Jenkins Announces Retirement After 13 Seasons in NFL appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

Payton made the announcement via press conference, during which he said he still doesn’t know what his next move will be. According to the 58-year-old, he is not retiring but won’t pursue a new coaching job in 2022. Instead, he left the door open for a gig as a television personality.

“I’ll be honest with ya, that might be coaching again at some point,” Payton told the reporters. “I don’t think it’s this year, I think maybe in the future, but that’s not where my heart is right now. It’s not at all.”

The news about Payton stepping down came as a surprise to many, but internally, the Saints knew this was possible. It was believed that Payton was exhausted after a challenging season that saw the Saints starting four different quarterbacks, dealing with injuries to their star players, and being forced to relocate to Dallas due to hurricanes. Still, New Orleans finished with a 9-8 record and narrowly missed out on the playoffs.

The Saints are expected to consider multiple candidates for their head coaching vacancy, but most of the league believes they will go with an in-home hire. The best chances are given to defensive coordinator Dennis Allen, who already served as a head coach when Payton was out due to COVID-19 protocols.

Sean Payton joined the New Orleans Saints in 2006 after previously working as an assistant head coach and quarterbacks coach with the Dallas Cowboys. He compiled a 161–97 head coaching record during his time with the franchise, including going 152–89 in the regular season and 9-8 in the playoffs. Payton led the Saints to their only Super Bowl trophy in 2009.

The post Sean Payton Steps Down as New Orleans Saints Head Coach appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

The Saints went after Brady from the get-go, pressuring him into early throws or forcing him to take a sack. They were so efficient that Brady managed to throw for 214 yards while completing just 54.2 percent of his passes. Both were season-lows for the 44-year-old.

At the end of the game, Brady also had one interception, one forced fumble, and was sacked four times.

The Saints will likely cherish the shutout even more, knowing that they helped franchise legend Drew Brees preserve his record for most games without a shutout (304). Entering the game against New Orleans, Brady had an active streak of 255 games in which his offense put up points on board.

Brady’s struggles on Sunday night were no coincidence. Since he arrived in Tampa ahead of the 2020 NFL season, the Saints were his toughest matchup, and he lost all four times he played against them in the regular season. However, he did get the better of them in the playoffs last season when the Bucs beat New Orleans en route to Super Bowl.

By losing to the Saints, the Bucs have diminished their chances of getting the top seed in NFC. They are currently 10-4 while the conference leaders, Green Bay Packers, have 11-3 and own a tiebreaker.

The Saints, on the other hand, improved to a 7-7 record and kept their playoff chances alive.

The post Saints Defense Gives Tom Brady His First Shutout Since 2006 appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

Vaccaro, who most recently played with the Tennessee Titans during the 2020 NFL season, announced his decision on social media.

“Technically I am still a free agent,” Vaccaro said when contacted by ESPN. “But this is where my mind has been the past six months. I’m happy where I’m at, doing what I’m doing. I just really felt like this was something deep down inside that I wanted to do.”

Vaccaro added that he had offers from multiple NFL franchises who offered him a chance to return to football, but he wasn’t interested in getting back on the field.

Kenny Vaccaro entered the NFL as New Orleans Saints’ 15th overall pick in the 2013 NFL Draft. He spent five seasons in New Orleans, making 67 starts with the franchise and contributing with 385 tackles, 30 passes defended, eight interceptions, 7.5 sacks, and four forced fumbles.

After the Saints decided not to renew his contract following the 2017 NFL season, Vaccaro joined the Titans. He started all 42 games he played in Tennessee, but the franchise decided to release him this offseason. He was two years into the four-year, $26 million contract extension he inked in 2019.

The post Veteran Safety Kenny Vaccaro Shuns NFL Return in Favor of Esports appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

Winston got hurt after a scramble in the second quarter that ended with him being horse-collar tackled by the Bucs’ Devin White. The 27-year-old’s knee bent awkwardly during the play, and he had to be helped off the field. He was later seen on the cart heading to the locker room and didn’t return to the game.

During a chat with reporters after the game, the Saints’ head coach Sean Payton said he doesn’t know too much about Winston’s injury but thinks “it’s significant.”

“He felt something. He’s on crutches right now,” said Payton. “I don’t wanna say until I have a chance to talk with the doctors, but when he got up and had to go back down, you were a little concerned.”

While the Saints apparently hope for the best, the first reports are not so optimistic. According to NFL Network’s insider Ian Rapoport, Winston is most likely dealing with an ACL injury and could have damage to his MCL. If this turns out true, he will be out for the remainder of the season.

In Winston’s absence, the Saints turned to veteran Trevor Siemian to finish the game. Siemian had a solid outing, completing 16 passes out of 29 attempted while throwing for 159 yards and a touchdown.

Besides Siemian, New Orleans also has versatile Taysom Hill as an option on the quarterback position. Hill has been in the concussion protocol since Week 5 but is expected to return for the Saint’s next game.

The post Jameis Winston Suffers “Significant” Knee Injury appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

According to Schefter, the Saints made a move after unsuccessfully approaching Murray with a salary reduction proposal earlier this week. The 31-year-old player was set to earn $3.15 million this season according to the four-year, $14.4 million contract he signed with the franchise in 2019.

Murray played well for the Saints last season, managing to rush for 656 yards and four touchdowns in a backup role behind Pro Bowler Alvin Kamara. He was also useful in the passing game, making 23 catches for 176 yards and one score.

But despite his production, the Saints were comfortable walking away from Murray after 2020’s undrafted pickup Tony Jones Jr. showed potential in the preseason. Jones, who spent much of the last season on the team’s practice squad, rushed for 106 yards and a TD in two preseason games while also managing to come down with six receptions for 42 yards.

Given his track record, Latavius Murray should have no trouble landing a spot on an NFL team before Week 1. Murray, who also played with the Raiders and Minnesota Vikings in the past, has 4,991 career rushing yards and 43 rushing touchdowns. He has one Pro Bowl nod from 2015.

The post Saints Release Latavius Murray After He Rejects to Reduce His Salary appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

The league said that the decision was made “in consultation with state and local officials and both clubs, in the interest of public safety.” The game will keep its original date of September 12th and kickoff time of 4:25 PM ET.

The Saints and the NFL chose the TIAA Bank Field as it was the closest available option. The stadium is free since the Jaguars play their Week 1 game on the road.

The Saints have been evacuated from New Orleans before Hurricane Ida reached the city and have been practicing at the Dallas Cowboys’ AT&T Stadium for the past several days. Moving forward, the team will conduct practices in Fort Worth, Texas, at the stadium of TCU Football.

The Saints will now have to wait until October 3rd and game against the New York Giants to play their first 2021 NFL season game in New Orleans. They are already scheduled to spend Week 2 and Week 3 on the road, playing away games against the Carolina Panthers and New England Patriots, respectively.

The post Saints and Packers to Play Their Season Opener in Jacksonville appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

Thomas had ankle issues since the start of the last season and was limited to playing only seven games in 2020. The injury turned out to be more significant than it was initially believed and involved torn ligaments, which forced the 28-year-old star to have the procedure.

NFL Network‘s Ian Rapoport reports that this kind of surgery requires four months of recovery, putting Thomas on track to miss the first month of the season and maybe even more.

Thomas being out represents a major blow for the Saints’ hopes to remain competitive. The franchise will enter the season without their longtime quarterback Drew Brees, who retired in March, while already being thin at the wide receiver position.

After releasing veteran Emmanuel Sanders earlier in the offseason, New Orleans will have to rely heavily on an unproven core consisting of 2018’s third-round pick Tre’Quan Smith, last year’s undrafted free agent acquisition Marquez Callaway, and return specialist Deonte Harris.

Michael Thomas has been a go-to guy for the Saints on offense since being selected in the second round of the 2016 NFL Draft. In five years as a pro, he managed to catch 510 receptions for 5,950 yards while also coming down with 32 touchdowns.  Thomas has three Pro Bowl nods and two First-Team All-Pro selections while also being named NFL Offensive Player of the Year in 2019 after breaking the NFL’s record for most receptions in a single season with 149.

The post Saints WR Michael Thomas Set to Miss the Start of 2021 NFL Season Due to Ankle Surgery appeared first on yoursportspot.com.