Means will have to wait until 2026 to carve out a role in the New Orleans offense

Only 16 days remain until the New Orleans Saints and Arizona Cardinals square off in the Superdome to open the 2025 regular season. The No. 16 jersey was supposed to be worn by second-year wide receiver Bub Means. However, an ankle injury suffered in the first preseason game against the Chargers forced Means to go on season-ending injured reserve. We still take a closer look at his short career now, as our Saints Player of the Day.

Name (age): Jerrod “Bub” Means (24)Hometown: Lovejoy, Ga.Position: Wide receiverHeight, weight: 6-foot-1, 202 poundsCollege: Pitt PanthersRelative Athletic Score: 9.35Drafted: Round 5, 170 overall in 2024 (Saints)NFL experience: 1 year

Jerrod “Bub” Means was a three-star recruit at Lovejoy High School in Georgia that originally would attend the University of Tennessee. He redshirted during his freshman year with the Volunteers in 2019, then transferred to Louisiana Tech. Means would essentially sit out 2020 after the transfer, then in 2021 caught 22 passes for 430 yards and 2 scores for the Bulldogs. He’d transfer again after that season, this time landing with the University of Pittsburgh. In his first year at Pitt, Means had 27 receptions for 401 yards and 2 touchdowns. Means had 41 catches for 721 yards and 6 scores in 2022, leading Pitt in touchdowns and receiving yardage.

With their second of three picks in Round 5 of the 2024 NFL draft, the New Orleans Saints acquired Means. He made the team easily after a strong preseason. Means saw only light action over his first five games as a rookie. However, he’d be pressed into heavier duty when injuries began to decimate the receiving corps. Means caught 5 passes for 45 yards and a touchdown during a Week 6 loss to Tampa Bay. The following week he’d pull in 3 passes for 37 yards.

Against the Chargers in Week 8, Means joined the team’s list of injured receivers when he hurt an ankle after a 36-yard reception. The injury would end his year with 9 receptions for 118 yards in essentially three games as a rookie.Bub Means was one of the ACC leaders in contested catches at Pitt. He was expected to add that same ability as he entered his second year with the Saints. Unfortunately, Means suffered another ankle injury, again against the Chargers in SoFi Stadium, during the first week of the preseason. New Orleans was forced to put Means on injured reserve, meaning his season is done. Means will now have to wait until 2026 to carve out a role in the New Orleans offense.