New Orleans

Saints

Holker was signed by the Saints as an undrafted free agent out of Colorado State last season. He caught three passes for 21 yards as a rookie and dealt with an ankle injury earlier this offseason. Holker was slated to be a depth piece in the Saints’ tight end room but now steps away from football at 25 years old.

Hill remains without a timetable. It would be surprising if Hill played this year after a late-season ACL tear, though Loomis expressed that he expects him to play in 2025. Loomis said that the rehab has “all been positive” so far for both players.

Sure grandpa, let’s get you back to the salary cap page. Loomis noted that “the most important thing here is not speed, it’s accuracy” and said it would be a “coach’s decision.” Considering the new head coach decided he’d feel more comfortable selecting a quarterback in the second round, we’d be surprised if Shough wasn’t the starter. But this was always going to come down to a training camp battle. Get ready to learn breathless reporting on Spencer Rattler’s 7-on-7 play, buddy.

Saints GM Mickey Loomis said he was a little surprised after he learned this would happen a few days ago. The three-time All-Pro safety retires just ahead of training camp with the Saints. Honey Badger started 171 games over his 12 NFL years, intercepting 36 balls and creating 838 combined tackles. At his best, Mathieu was a havoc creator for the Cardinals, Texans, and Chiefs. Jonas Sanker and Jordan Howden are among the in-house replacements in New Orleans to start next to Justin Reid.

Bullard reunites with defensive coordinator Brandon Staley after playing under him for two years in Chicago, bringing a level of familiarity to a defense undergoing numerous changes this offseason. Expect Bullard to mix into early-down packages after performing well against the run over his previous three seasons in Minnesota, potentially hitting the sidelines in clear passing situations.

The fully guaranteed contract includes annual roster bonus structure, meaning Shough would receiver the bulk of his yearly compensation each year during the first week of training camp. At pick No. 40, Shough now becomes the latest draft pick to receive a fully guaranteed contract and also the only pick from the 2025 class to receiver the annual roster bonus. While reports out of New Orleans continue to indicate a legitimate battle for the starting job under center heading into the new season, this contract seems to suggest the team is investing heavily in Shough as their quarterback of the future. Wether or not we see the Saints take a muted approach to the 2025 season to better set themselves up for an impending rebuild remains to be seen, but the collective fantasy community should surely view this as a plus for Shough’s chances of starting the regular season under center for the Saints.

The details of the contract haven’t been leaked yet, but a two-year deal suggests Mims is now the favorite for the RB3 job in Tennessee. Mims entered the league as a UDFA with the Bills in 2023 but was cut at the end of training camp. He landed on the Saints’ practice squad and has been called up as a depth piece several times over the past two years. Mims rushed 20 times for 70 yards and added 12 catches for 71 yards in 11 appearances last season. He will likely see most of his work on special teams with the Titans unless something happens to Tony Pollard or Tyjae Spears.

It’s possible Moreau is just trying to speak positively of a quarterback room that could be in flux for much of the 2025 season, but the veteran tight end said neither Tyler Shough or Spencer Rattler did much to separate themselves from one another during offseason programs. Shough was selected at No. 40 overall by the Saints in this year’s draft, and will almost certainly get a chance to start at some point in the season, but Rattler could also get a look after throwing for 1,317-4-5 in seven games as a rookie. Rattler only completed 57 percent of his passes last season, and doesn’t have much promise as a fifth-round pick, but there may be room for him to see some action in what might be the worst QB room in the league this season. Regardless, this competition will one to watch throughout the offseason as first-year head coach Kellen Moore hopes to find a reliable option come Week 1.

Shough is the frontrunner for the Saints’ starting job and believes he can work through adversity to take on the opportunity. When Derek Carr retired on May 10, Shough said head coach Kellen Moore gave him “a bit of a heads-up”, preparing him for the opportunity to take the reigns. Though he will turn 26-years-old as a rookie, Shough’s college career working through injuries equips him with experience. He will still need to earn the starting job, but Shough is the favorite and is prepared to weather a storm of struggles. He will be a borderline QB2 in SuperFlex leagues as the starter.