The New Orleans Saints announced one practice squad elevation on Saturday in advance of their Week 8 home game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Outside linebacker Eku Leota is the only player New Orleans will elevate from the practice squad, according to Saturday’s personnel announcement.
In a bit of a surprise, the Saints did not elevate newly-acquired running back Audric Estime to the active roster. This means that New Orleans only have two backs available, Alvin Kamara and Devin Neal, set to go against Tampa Bay. Taysom Hill is likely to see a heavier workload from the backfield versus the Buccaneers.
Leota, 26, is a third-year pro in his first season with the Saints. He played collegiately at Northwestern, then Auburn, before signing with the Carolina Panthers as an undrafted rookie in 2023. Between 2023 and 2024, Leota played in 10 games for the Panthers with one start, recording a sack and 3 tackles for loss among 8 total stops. He finished the 2024 campaign with the Pittsburgh Steelers, appearing in one game with one tackle.
New Orleans added Leota to their practice squad after he was released by the Steelers in training camp. Leota has seen one game of action, against the New York Giants in Week 5. He played nine snaps on special teams, recording one tackle. Special teams will be Leota’s playing opportunity against the Buccaneers. He’ll likely back up Chase Young, Cameron Jordan, Carl Granderson, and Chris Rumph on the edge.