The Browns placed Means (knee) on the practice squad injured list Tuesday.
Means appeared in seven regular-season games for the Saints in 2024. Since then, he's been trying to find a spot on an NFL roster, though injuries have been a significant barrier along the way. The 25-year-old is now ineligible to be elevated ahead of Cleveland's next four regular-season games.
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Bub Means: Signed to Browns' practice squad
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Means was signed to Browns' practice squad Tuesday.
Means was cut loose by the Saints on August 29 after spending the first two-plus seasons of his career with the team. The wide receiver was selected in the fifth round of the 2024 NFL Draft by New Orleans and he spent the entirety of the 2025 campaign on injured reserve after suffering a lower-leg injury during the preseason. Means will look to prove himself with Cleveland and earn an elevation to the active roster at some point this fall.
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Bub Means: Cut loose by New Orleans
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The Saints waived Means on Saturday.
Since New Orleans used a fifth-round pick on Means in 2024, Means recorded a 9-118-1 line on 15 targets in seven regular-season appearances that season before spending all of 2025 on IR due to a lower-leg injury. Assuming he goes through waivers unclaimed, he'll be a candidate to land on another team's practice squad, at least.
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Saints' Bub Means: Practices Tuesday
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Means (hamstring) was a full participant in Tuesday's practice, Mike Triplett of NewOrleans.Football reports.
Means suffered a hamstring injury during Saturday's 34-0 preseason loss to the Rams. The wide receiver has recovered quickly from the issue and is all set to return to practice. The 25-year-old will likely see more action in Friday's preseason finale against the Cowboys, giving him one more shot to prove his worth in a live game before cutdown day.
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Saints' Bub Means: Picks up hamstring injury Saturday
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Means injured his hamstring during Saturday's 34-0 preseason loss to the Rams, Matthew Paras of The New Orleans Times-Picayune reports.
Means went to the blue medical tent during Saturday's game and did not return, finishing with one catch on four targets for five yards. He'll undergo further tests to determine the severity of the injury, but it puts him in jeopardy of missing the Saints' preseason finale against the Cowboys on Friday.
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Saints' Bub Means: Participating in training camp
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Means is on the field participating in the Saints' training camp activities.
Means was placed on injured reserve last August with a lower-leg injury and missed the entire 2025 season. Now healthy, Means will look to make his mark in what is a crowded wide-receiver room in New Orleans. The 2024 fifth-round pick has participated in seven career regular-season games, producing nine receptions for 118 yards and one touchdown.
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Saints' Bub Means: Lands on injured reserve
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The Saints placed Means (lower leg) on the injured reserve list Wednesday, Ross Jackson of WWL Louisiana reports.
Means suffered the injury during the Saints' preseason contest against the Chargers on Sunday. By being placed on injured reserve, Means will be forced to miss the entire 2025 season unless an injury settlement is reached with the Saints. He appeared in seven regular-season games for New Orleans in 2024 and posted nine catches (on 15 targets) for 118 yards and one touchdown.
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Saints' Bub Means: Leaves with apparent injury
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Means (lower leg) exited Sunday's preseason game against the Chargers due to an apparent lower leg injury, Jeff Nowak of Audacy Sports reports.
Means logged one reception for 12 yards before his departure Sunday. The 2024 fifth-round pick missed the final nine games of the regular season in his rookie year due to an ankle injury, but he was medically cleared back in January.
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Saints' Bub Means: Medically cleared
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Means (ankle) received medical clearance late January and will enter the offseason at full health, Jeff Nowak of WWL Radio reports.
Means missed the final nine regular-season games of his rookie campaign due to a high-ankle sprain sustained Week 8. He was cleared to resume practicing early December, but then suffered a setback in his recovery. Across seven regular-season appearances as a rookie, Means secured nine of 15 targets for 118 yards and a score.
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Saints' Bub Means: Finishing season on IR
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Means (ankle) will remain on injured reserve after his 21-day practice window closed Wednesday.
Means was cleared to resume practicing with the Saints on Dec. 4, but he missed two straight games before suffering a setback in his recovery from the ankle injury last week and then remaining out for this past Monday's loss to the Packers. Rather than adding Means back to the 53-man roster for the final two games of the regular season while he's still less than 100 percent healthy, the 23-year-old will be shut down. The wideout finished his rookie season with nine catches for 118 yards and a touchdown on 15 targets across seven games.
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Saints' Bub Means: Suffers setback to ankle injury
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Means recently suffered a setback in his recovery from a Week 8 ankle injury and is not expected to return this season, Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football reports.
The Saints haven't made the official designation, and Means technically still has one more week to return until his 21-day activation window expires, but interim head coach Darren Rizzi's comments seem to indicate the rookie won't play the rest of the year. The rookie fifth-round pick emerged as a rotational option after injuries decimated New Orleans' wide receiver depth earlier in the year, and Means could profile as a depth piece for the team entering 2025.
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Saints' Bub Means: Remains sidelined Friday
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Means (ankle) remained sidelined for Friday's practice, Ross Jackson of WWL Louisiana reports.
Means hasn't played since Week 8 and was designated for return from injured reserve on Dec. 4, so the Saints have less than seven days before they need to make a decision on whether or not to activate the rookie wideout. The Saints go on the road for a Monday night matchup with the Packers this week.
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Saints' Bub Means: Limited in practice
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Means (ankle) was a limited participant in practice Wednesday, John Hendrix of SI.com reports.
Means is in the midst of his second week of practice since the Saints opened his 21-day evaluation window Dec. 4. The rookie wideout hasn't played since Week 8 with an ankle sprain, but if he's able to upgrade to full participation in practice by Friday, he could have a decent chance at getting cleared to suit up this Sunday against the Commanders. Through his first seven NFL games, Means produced a 9-118-1 receiving line on 15 targets.
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Saints' Bub Means: Sits out practice Thursday
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Means (ankle) was a non-participant in Thursday's practice.
Means was designated for return from injured reserve Wednesday and was a limited participant in his first practice since Week 8. While his downgrade to no activity Thursday could be more of a maintenance day rather than indicative of a setback, Means may not be on track to play Sunday against the Giants in any case. The Saints will hold their final Week 14 practice Friday and will then have until Saturday at 4 p.m. ET to activate Means from IR if they want to have him available for Sunday's contest.
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Saints' Bub Means: Returns to practice
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Means (ankle) was designated for return from injured reserve Wednesday and returned to practice as a limited participant, Katherine Terrell of ESPN.com reports.
The transaction opens a 21-day window in which Means can practice without being placed on the active roster. He may have a large role once he's deemed healthy, having stepped in as a starter prior to suffering a high-ankle sprain Week 8. Rashid Shaheed suffered a season-ending knee injury around the same time, and Chris Olave later landed on injured reserve with a concussion. Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Kevin Austin have taken most of the snaps at receiver for New Orleans in recent weeks.
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Saints' Bub Means: Heads to injured reserve
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The Saints placed Means (ankle) on injured reserve Saturday.
Getting diagnosed with a high-ankle sprain typically equates to a multi-game absence, and the Saints have made it official for Means, ruling him out for the next four contests. He'll be first eligible to return Sunday, Dec. 8 at the Giants, but for the time being he'll join fellow WR Rashid Shaheed (knee) on injured reserve.
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Saints' Bub Means: Sits out Wednesday
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Means (ankle) was a non-participant at Wednesday's practice.
Means' absence doesn't come as a surprise after he was removed from this past Sunday's loss to the Chargers with a high-ankle sprain, which typically results in a multi-game absence. The rookie wideout's status will likely receive clarity by week's end, and there's also the prospect of fellow receiver Cedrick Wilson -- who didn't practice Wednesday -- missing time due to a hip injury. Currently, Chris Olave, Mason Tipton, Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Jermaine Johnson are the healthy options at the position on the Saints' active roster.
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Saints' Bub Means: Three catches in loss
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Means secured three of five targets for 37 yards in the Saints' 33-10 loss to the Broncos on Thursday night.
Means found himself in an expanded role with Chris Olave (concussion), Rashid Shaheed (knee) and Taysom Hill (ribs) all sidelined, and he finished tied for second in receptions and fourth in receiving yards. The rookie fifth-round pick went without a catch for the first four games of his career, but he's now generated an 8-82-1 line on 13 targets over the last pair of contests. Means could be in for extra opportunity again in a Week 8 road matchup against the Chargers on Sunday, Oct. 27 with Shaheed now ruled out for the season.
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Saints' Bub Means: Plays six snaps Sunday
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Means compiled zero receptions (on one target) for zero yards during Sunday's 47-10 victory over the Panthers.
Means got onto the field late in the fourth quarter, finishing with the fewest offensive snaps of the five wide receivers who played for the Saints on Sunday. The rookie out of Pittsburgh didn't show up on the offensive stat sheet outside of one target, and his only other notable moment came when he drew an offensive holding penalty on the opening kickoff return. Second-year wideout A.T. Perry was also inactive with a hand injury Week 1. When this wide receiver corps is fully healthy, it's likely that Means will be spending the vast majority of games on the sideline this season. He could see fringe playing time if Perry remains out for next Sunday's road game at Dallas.
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Saints' Bub Means: Resumes practicing in full
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Means (undisclosed) was a full participant in Wednesday's practice, Ross Jackson of WWL Louisiana reports.
Means and Rashid Shaheed (hamstring) both shed their non-contact jerseys and practiced in full Wednesday. A rookie fifth-round pick, Means is competing for a depth role on New Orleans' final roster, so he'll work to make a splash during Sunday's preseason game against the 49ers.
