Updated Aug. 30, 2026, 11:32 a.m. CT

It’s finally here. The New Orleans Saints have a little more than 24 hours to reduce their roster from 91 players to just 53 names by the NFL roster cuts deadline at 5 p.m. CT on Sunday, Aug. 30. It’s a difficult process with dozens of guys getting unfortunate calls into the office on what should be their day off. Some of them could land with new teams. Others might re-sign with the Saints’ practice squad or return to the 53-man roster once other procedural moves are completed. But for many of them, this is the end of the line for their NFL career.

As for who could make the team? We’ve made our predictions, and wrestled with the toughest cuts while highlighting roster locks from around the Saints beat.

We’ll be keeping up with analysis and reactions on every roster move. The Saints aren’t just going to be releasing players from their contracts. They’ll also be calling other teams and fielding trade offers while scouring the waiver wire for potential claims. It’s important to remember that the initial 53-man roster on Aug. 30 won’t be the same group available for their first regular season game on Sept. 13 as injured players recover and new additions settle in. There are going to be a ton of moving parts. Check this space often for updates. We’re also maintaining a list of all players on the roster in the countdown to 53.

Saints announce ten players have been waived before deadlineOn Saturday evening, the New Orleans Saints confirmed each of the previously-reported waivers (Dekkers, Means, Mitchell-Paden, and Saunders) as well as a couple of additions. Read more here:WR Ronnie Bell. Bell was on the practice squad last year and made some great plays in the preseason, flashing some much-needed physicality in the receiving corps. He’s a good pick to return on this year’s practice squad if he clears waivers.S Elliott Davison. Another member of the practice squad last season, Davison was one of the team leaders in special teams snaps this summer and looked the part at free safety. Numbers just weren’t on his side with so many veterans stacked ahead of him.EDGE Garrett Nelson. The Saints claimed Nelson off of waivers from the Seahawks midway through training camp, and he led the defense in quarterback pressures through three preseason games. Don’t be surprised if he returns on the practice squad after spending time in New Orleans last year, too.DT Brien Taylor Jr. Taylor was one of several free agents the Saints brought in after Bryan Bresee’s unfortunate injury at the start of training camp. He’s proven he has the strength NFL teams look for, so this shouldn’t be the end of the line for him at the pro level.OL Xavier Truss. Here’s another hit to our 53-man roster, but we did admit Truss was a long shot as the tenth offensive lineman in our model. The Saints claimed him off waivers last season and converted him to guard after he initially worked at right tackle with the Denver Broncos. It’s worth stashing him on the practice squad if he clears the waiver wire this time.EDGE Malakai Williams. Williams was another free agent pickup during training camp (brought in after Cameron Jordan was sidelined by a hamstring injury) but he struggled to get meaningful practice reps with guys like Anfernee Jennings and Tyree Wilson ahead of him on the depth chart.Your fantasy edge starts here Sync your league for custom roster advice, projections, and tools to win your matchups every week. Saints waive tight end Zaire Mitchell-PadenTE Zaire Mitchell-Paden is the next player to be waived, per Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football. He spent much of last season on the Saints’ practice squad and is a candidate to return in that role if he clears waivers this time around. Saints waive WR Bub Means, 2024 draft pickWR Bub Means has been waived, per Nick Underhill for NewOrleans.Football. This is the first surprise of the weekend (and the first hit to our own 53-man roster projection). Means was picked in the fifth round of the 2024 draft but struggled to stay healthy, and while he had a strong start to the preseason he faded as the summer wore on and wasn’t targeted in team drills during the last couple of practices. He could be an option for the practice squad if he clears waivers. Read more here. Backup cornerback Dalys Beanum waived/injured by SaintsCB Dalys Beanum is being waived with an injury designation, per KPRC 2 Houston’s Aaron Wilson, which should allow him to revert to injured reserve and effectively take a redshirt this season. The Saints may also release him with an injury settlement if he gets another opinion. He would have the option to try out for other teams later this year, but not the Saints. Beanum hasn’t practiced fully since Aug. 20 and didn’t participate in either of the second two preseason games. Saints waive backup quarterback Hunter DekkersQB Hunter Dekkers has also been waived, per Mike Triplett for NewOrleans.Football and confirmed by ESPN’s Katherine Terrell. Dekkers was dealt a bad hand in the preseason — he only got into a single preseason game while trying to run a two-minute offense without any prior snaps in team drills at training camp. The Saints have talked about a long-term vision for him in the past, and they waited for his stint in the UFL to wrap up this spring, so don’t be surprised if he returns on the practice squad. Read more here. Saints waive defensive lineman Kahlil SaundersDT Kahlil Saunders is being waived, per NewOrleans.Football’s Nick Underhill. Saunders, a rookie who played college football at Kentucky, was signed after an early training camp injury put Bryan Bresee out of action for the year. He’s a candidate to return to the practice squad but the Saints may have other defensive linemen in mind for those spots. New Orleans Saints trade rumors and reportsQB Spencer Rattler came up in trade conversations with the Jacksonville Jaguars, per NewOrleans.Football’s Nick Underhill, but the Jags pivoted to a deal with the in-state rival Miami Dolphins instead. Assuming they only offered a sixth-round pick in the 2028 draft (which is what’s going to Miami in exchange for former Texas Longhorns quarterback Quinn Ewers), it’s a good thing the Saints said “no thanks.” Read more here.Chicago Bears DT Gervon Dexter Sr. was dealt to the Atlanta Falcons in exchange for veteran cornerback Clark Phillips III and a fifth-round draft pick, but the Saints were in on him too, per NFL insider Jordan Schultz. Dexter is a proven starter who could have helped New Orleans navigate life without Bryan Bresee. We’ll see if they continue to ask about interior defensive linemen or if this was a unique opportunity to buy low on a talented player. Read more here. Injured reserve and physically unable to perform listWR Mason Tipton will transition from the training camp PUP list to the in-season PUP list, per NewOrleans.Football’s Mike Triplett; the difference is he won’t count against the 53-man roster limit until he’s healthy enough to be activated. Tipton suffered a groin injury late last season that kept him out of spring training and the preseason this summer. We’ll see if there’s room for him on the depth chart once he’s cleared to play. Read more here.

Players who have been ruled out for the season on injured reserve include defensive lineman Bryan Bresee, offensive lineman Dillon Radunz, cornerback Rejzohn Wright, running back Ty Chandler, and tight end Moliki Matavao. Additionally, offensive lineman Nick Saldiveri was placed on the season-ending PUP reserve list earlier this summer. This was a contract year for the former fourth-round draft pick, so he’s likely played his last down with the Saints,