Saints' Justin Reid: Production dips with New Orleans
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Reid finished the 2025 regular season with 72 tackles (37 colo), including 0.5 sacks, and four passes defended, including one interception, across 15 games.
Reid's numbers took a slight hit in his first season with the Saints, as he tallied fewer than 83 tackles for the first time since 2021 and for just the second time in his career. The eight-year veteran was sidelined for two games, as well as the majority of the Week 13 loss to the Dolphins, with a knee injury. He also played just nine defensive snaps Week 5, so missing almost four games likely helps explain his dip in production. Reid has two seasons remaining on his three-year, $31.5 million deal with New Orleans.
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Saints' Kool-Aid McKinstry: Performs well as CB1 in 2025
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McKinstry finished the 2025 season with 76 tackles (59 solo) and 17 passes defended, including three interceptions, across 17 games.
McKinstry finished tied for sixth in the NFL in passes defended during his first season as the Saints' No. 1 cornerback. The 2024 second-rounder also improved his consistency as a tackler while playing over 400 more defensive snaps than he did as a rookie. McKinstry should set himself up for a solid payday if he performs at a similar level in 2026.
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Saints' Carl Granderson: Tallies six sacks in 2025
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Granderson accumulated 57 tackles (22 solo), including six sacks, and four passes defended across 17 regular-season games in 2025.
Granderson continued his consistent production this season, but his tackle number took a hit as he played slightly fewer snaps than he did over the previous two seasons. In 51 games over the last three regular seasons, the 29-year-old has tallied 20 sacks, and he's averaged 65.3 tackles per year. Granderson has two seasons remaining on his four-year, $52 million contract with the Saints.
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Saints' Cameron Jordan: Logs 10.5 sacks in 2025
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Jordan finished the 2025 campaign with 47 tackles (32 solo), including 10.5 sacks, and two passes defended across 17 games.
Jordan collected one sack in Week 18 to reach double-digit sacks for the first time since 2021. This was a massive jump from his previous two seasons, when he accumulated 6.0 sacks across 34 regular-season games. The 15-year veteran has now logged 10 or more sacks seven times in his career. Jordan played on a one-year, $6.05 million deal this season, and it's unclear if he'll re-sign with New Orleans, join a new team, or even retire this offseason.
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Saints' Pete Werner: Tallies 81 stops in 2025
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Werner finished the 2025 season with 81 tackles (50 solo), including 2.0 sacks, and five passes defended across 17 appearances.
Werner posted 80 or more tackles for the fourth year in a row, and he played every regular-season game for the first time in his career. The 26-year-old finished third on the Saints in tackles behind fellow inside linebacker Demario Davis (143) and cornerback Alontae Taylor (83). As long as Davis continues playing for New Orleans, Werner figures to remain in a secondary role in 2026.
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Saints' Alontae Taylor: Logs strong 2025 campaign
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Taylor tallied 83 tackles (59 solo), including two sacks, and 11 passes defended with two interceptions across 17 appearances in 2025.
Taylor posted slightly lower production following his career-best 2024 campaign. He still finished with 75 or more tackles for the third straight season, and he has recorded double-digit passes defended in all four seasons of his career. The 2022 second-rounder has had a strong start to his career, which should set him up for a solid payday this offseason.
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Saints' Demario Davis: Logs career-high tackles in Year 14
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Davis finished the 2025 campaign with 143 tackles (64 solo), including 0.5 sacks, and three passes defended across 17 games.
Davis racked up a new career high for tackles in a season, finishing tied for the 10th-most stops in the NFL in 2025. His durability and consistency have stood the test of time, as he logged his ninth-straight season with over 100 tackles. The 36-year-old - who turns 37 in January - played every regular-season game for the 14th time in his career. Davis was under contract with New Orleans through the 2025 season, and he should remain productive whether he sticks with the Saints or goes elsewhere in 2026.
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Saints' Demario Davis: Getting green light for finale
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Davis (calf) is active for Sunday's game against the Falcons, Ross Jackson of WWL Louisiana reports.
Davis logged limited practices throughout Week 18 prep and drew a questionable tag, but he'll ultimately suit up for the regular-season finale, keeping his perfect attendance streak alive. In 16 appearances this season, the veteran linebacker has totaled a career-high 137 tackles (63 solo), including 0.5 sacks, three pass deflections, two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery.
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Saints' Demario Davis: Questionable with calf issue
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Davis (calf) is listed as questionable ahead of Sunday's game against the Falcons, Jeff Nowak of WWL Radio reports.
Davis was a limited participant throughout the Week 18 practice sessions with a calf injury he likely sustained in last Sunday's win over the Titans. The inside linebacker has yet to miss a game this season, so stringing three consecutive practice sessions together is a strong sign he will be able to suit up for Sunday's season-finale. If the team decides it wants to be careful with Davis' injury, Danny Stutsman and Jaylan Ford would be set to receive an increased defensive workload for the Saints' linebacker corps.
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Saints' Michael Davis: Placed on IR
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Davis (shoulder) was placed on the injured reserve list Friday, Mike Triplett of NewOrleans.Football reports.
The 29-year-old from BYU sustained a shoulder injury in the Week 17 win over the Titans and didn't practice Wednesday or Thursday, so it's no surprise he's shifted to IR. Davis finished his 2025 campaign with four total tackles across 11 appearances while primarily contributing on special teams (eight snaps on defense, 113 on special teams).
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Saints' Nathan Shepherd: Out for Sunday
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Shepherd (ankle/knee) has been ruled out ahead of Sunday's matchup against the Falcons, Mike Triplett of NewOrleans.Football reports.
The Fort Hays State product didn't practice Wednesday or Thursday and is now in line to miss the Saints' season finale due to ankle and knee injuries. Shepherd had one of the best years of his career in 2025, tallying 47 total tackles, including 3.0 sacks, and one forced fumble across 16 contests. While he's sidelined Sunday, expect John Ridgeway to operate as one of the Saints' top defensive ends.
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Saints' Bryan Bresee: Out for Week 18
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Bresee (knee) has been ruled out ahead of Sunday's matchup against the Falcons, Mike Triplett of NewOrleans.Football reports.
Bresee hasn't returned to practice since sustaining a knee injury in the Week 16 win over the Jets, so it's no surprise he'll be sidelined Sunday. The third-year pro from Clemson had a relatively underwhelming 2025 campaign, recording 37 total tackles, including 2.5 sacks, three passes defensed and one forced fumble over 15 appearances. Expect Jonathan Bullard and John Ridgeway to have expanded roles on New Orleans' defensive line while Bresee and Nathan Shepherd (ankle) are sidelined in Week 18.
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Saints' Bryan Bresee: Remains out of practice
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Bresee (knee) did not practice Wednesday.
Bresee didn't practice at all last week and sat out Sunday's win over Tennessee. With a DNP to begin Week 18 prep, his potential to return to action for New Orleans' season finale this coming Sunday in Atlanta is shaky, at best. Should Bresee need to sit out again, Jonathan Bullard and Nathan Shepherd (ankle) would be candidates for more defensive snaps.
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Saints' Demario Davis: Dealing with calf issue
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Davis logged a limited practice session Wednesday due to a calf injury.
Davis presumably picked up the injury in this past Sunday's win over Tennessee. His ability to post a limited session Wednesday suggests the issue isn't especially severe, though the veteran linebacker's status for Week 18 is still uncertain. New Orleans has long been eliminated from playoff contention, so the team doesn't have much reason to roll out Davis if he's not fully ready to play.
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Saints' Justin Reid: Just two tackles in Week 17 victory
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Reid logged two tackles (one solo) and a pass defense during the Saints' 34-26 win over the Titans on Sunday.
Reid played every single defensive snap during Sunday's win but had just two stops to show for it. The veteran safety signed a three-year, $31.5 million contract with the Saints in March after spending the past three seasons with the Chiefs, and in his first campaign with New Orleans he has accumulated 71 tackles (37 solo), including 0.5 sacks, and six pass defenses (including a pick-six) across 14 regular-season games.
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Saints' Chase Young: Returns fumble for TD vs. Tennessee
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Young logged four tackles (three solo), including 1.5 sacks, and a fumble recovery for a touchdown during the Saints' 34-26 win over the Titans on Sunday.
Young arguably made the play of the game late in the second quarter, when he strip-sacked Cam Ward, recovered the fumble and returned it 33 yards for a touchdown to reduce the Saints' deficit to three points. It was the second defensive touchdown of Young's six-year NFL career, with the first taking place in his rookie season in 2020 while playing for Washington. His performance Sunday put him up to a career-high 8.5 sacks through 11 regular-season games, and he'll look to add to his total this Sunday against the Falcons.
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Saints' Michael Davis: Done for day
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Davis (shoulder) has been ruled out for the remainder of Sunday's contest against the Titans, Mike Triplett of NewOrleans.Football reports.
Davis suffered an apparent shoulder injury in the contest, bringing his day to a premature end. The cornerback operates primarily as a special-teams option, so his absence carries little to no impact on defense.
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Saints' Justin Reid: Leads Saints in stops Sunday
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Reid registered nine tackles (three solo) and a defensed pass in a 29-6 Week 16 win over the Jets on Sunday.
Reid's nine tackles led New Orleans. That total was also his highest mark since he notched 13 stops versus the Rams in Week 9. Reid logged a 97 percent defensive snap share Sunday in his return from a two-game absence due to a knee injury.
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Saints' Alontae Taylor: Takes down QB in Week 16 victory
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Taylor recorded seven tackles (five solo), including 1.0 sacks, in a 29-6 win against the Jets on Sunday.
Taylor's third-quarter sack of rookie QB Brady Cook helped force a Jets punt. It was the second sack of the campaign for Taylor, with his first coming Week 1 against Arizona. Taylor has remained a steady presence in the Saints' secondary and has 70 tackles (including the pair of sacks) and seven defensed passes, including two interceptions, through 15 games this season.
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Saints' Cameron Jordan: Posts 2.0 sacks in Week 16 win
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Jordan recorded four tackles, including 2.0 sacks, in Sunday's 29-6 win over the Jets.
Jordan was very disruptive when he was on the field, as four of his tackles went for a loss. Among those were sacks of rookie quarterback Brady Cook on back-to-back plays late in the second quarter. Jordan is enjoying a resurgent campaign with 8.5 sacks through 15 contests -- he logged just 6.0 sacks over 34 regular-season games across the previous two seasons combined.
