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New Orleans Saints trim roster to 53 ahead of season opener Four veterans released, 15 waived on Sunday as New Orleans sets its active roster NEW ORLEANS, La. (WLBT) - The New Orleans Saints trimmed their roster to the league-mandated 53 players on Sunday, general manager Mickey Loomis announced, closing out a busy few days of preseason moves before the regular season begins. New Orleans opens its season on Sunday, Sept. 13, at the Detroit Lions. Kickoff at Ford Field is set for noon Central time. Who’s in The Saints kept a mix of proven veterans and young talent across every position group. Here is a breakdown of the 53-man active roster. Quarterbacks (3): Tyler Shough, Spencer Rattler, Zach Wilson Running backs (4): Travis Etienne Jr., Alvin Kamara, Kendre Miller, Audric Estimé Wide receivers (5): Chris Olave, Devaughn Vele, Kevin Austin Jr., Bryce Lance, Barion Brown Tight ends (4): Juwan Johnson, Noah Fant, Oscar Delp, Treyton Welch Offensive line (8): Taliese Fuaga, Kelvin Banks Jr., Erik McCoy, Cesar Ruiz, David Edwards, Asim Richards, William Sherman, Jeremiah Wright Defensive line (6): Davon Godchaux, Nathan Shepherd, John Ridgeway III, Khristian Boyd, Vernon Broughton, Christen Miller Edge rushers (5): Cameron Jordan, Chase Young, Carl Granderson, Tyree Wilson, Anfernee Jennings Linebackers (5): Pete Werner, Kaden Elliss, Danny Stutsman, Chris Rumph II, Isaiah Stalbird Cornerbacks (4): Kool-Aid McKinstry, Quincy Riley, Martin Emerson Jr., Jayden Price Safeties (6): Justin Reid, Julian Blackmon, Jonas Sanker, Jordan Howden, Lorenzo Styles Jr., Mike Reid Specialists (3): Daniel Carlson (K), Ryan Wright (P), Zach Wood (LS) Cameron Jordan is set to begin his 16th season in Black and Gold, the most in franchise history, after re-signing with the team this offseason. Players headed to injured reserve on cut day As part of Sunday’s roster moves, five players were placed on injured reserve: cornerback Dalys Beanum, edge rusher Mike Heldman, cornerback David Long Jr., running back Devin Neal and offensive lineman Barry Wesley. Two additional players were placed on injured reserve with a designation to return, meaning they could rejoin the roster later this season: linebacker Jaylan Ford and rookie receiver Jordyn Tyson. Receiver Mason Tipton was placed on the reserve/physically unable to perform list, while receiver Brock Rechsteiner was placed on reserve/suspended by commissioner. Who didn’t make the cut The Saints released four veterans outright on Sunday: safety Terrell Burgess, cornerback Michael Davis, running back Zamir White and cornerback Isaac Yiadom. Fifteen additional players were waived on Sunday. Of that group, only cornerback TJ Hall Jr. was a 2026 draft pick, selected by New Orleans in the seventh round. The rest of the group was made up of veterans and undrafted players competing for depth spots: - Bub Means, WR (Waived on Saturday) - Tanner Brown, K - Myles Cole, DL - Jalen Cropper, WR - Fadil Diggs, EDGE - CJ Donaldson, RB - TJ Hall Jr., CB (2026 seventh-round pick) - Cody Hardy, TE - Alan Herron, T - Easton Kilty, T - Trey Palmer, WR - Torricelli Simpkins III, G - Jackson Sirmon, LB - Charlie Smyth, K - Jay’Viar Suggs, DL - Alex Wollschlaeger, T What’s next The Saints are expected to begin building a practice squad this week, giving some of the players let go on Sunday a chance to stick around the organization. Roster moves often continue right up until kickoff as teams work waivers and make trades. Want more WLBT news in your inbox? Click here to subscribe to our newsletter. See a spelling or grammar error in our story? Please click here to report it and include the headline of the story in your email. Copyright 2026 WLBT. All rights reserved.