Feb. 7, 2026, 11:45 a.m. CT
Coming into 2025 training camp, the New Orleans Saints were looking to replace both of their starting safeties from the previous season. Will Harris had moved on in free agency and veteran Tyrann Mathieu had surprisingly announced his retirement at the beginning of training camp. The Saints had signed Justin Reid early in free agency to plug one spot, then had to move quickly to replace Mathieu.
Julian Blackmon was signed to a one-year contract by New Orleans on July 23, just a day after Mathieu announced his retirement. A third round pick out of Utah by the Indianapolis Colts in the 2020 NFL draft, Blackmon had surprisingly gone unsigned after five good years with the Colts. He had 10 interceptions in Indianapolis, including 7 over his last two years, along with 22 passes broken up and 13 tackles for loss among his 307 total stops. The Saints planned on the Reid-Blackmon duo fortifying the back end of their secondary. Fate had some different plans in mind.
Julian Blackmon Year in ReviewPosition: SafetyAge: 27Height: 6-feetWeight: 202 poundsNFL experience: 6 years (1st with Saints)2025 season: 1 game (1 start)
As expected, Blackmon and Reid started side-by-side to open the regular season against the Arizona Cardinals. Blackmon notched 7 tackles to lead all Saints defensive backs, breaking up 1 pass, while playing every defensive snap. Unfortunately, it was the last we’d see of Julian Blackmon during the 2025 season.
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Blackmon suffered a torn labrum during the Cardinals game. The Saints were forced to place him on injured reserve, ending his season. Blackmon had played in 16 games for the Colts in 2024, but had been slowed by a shoulder injury all season. The injury had allegedly scared some teams during free agency.
If there was anything good that came from Blackmon’s injury, it was that the Saints showed they had some quality depth on the back end. Rookie third round pick Jonas Sanker stepped into Blackmon’s spot and played well. Jordan Howden also showed some improvement after getting more reps as a backup, while Terrell Burgess supplied decent depth.
New Orleans saw enough from Blackmon that they wouldn’t even let him hit the 2026 open free agent market. The Saints signed Blackmon to a one-year contract extension immediately after the regular season, worth a reported $1.52 million. It’s a reasonable deal for the team, and gives Blackmon the opportunity to show exactly why the Saints wanted him for their secondary this past season.
