New Orleans Saints

The New Orleans Saints announced they have signed veteran receiver Kenny Stills to the practice squad.

"He's extremely smart," head coach Sean Payton said of Stills. "A really good transitional player. He will bring to our group a few things that I think he does really well."

Stills teased the signing Tuesday on his Twitter account:

The 29-year-old spent the past two years with the Houston Texans but finished 2020 with just 11 catches for 144 yards in 10 games.

Despite last season's struggles, Stills averaged 671 yards per season during the first seven years of his career with an impressive 15.7 yards per reception.

The 2013 fifth-round pick began his career with New Orleans, leading the NFL with 20 yards per catch as a rookie. He led the team with 931 receiving yards in 2014, which ended up being a career high. 

Though he was traded to the Miami Dolphins in 2015, Stills now gets a chance to reunite with Payton while trying to get his career back on track.

Receiving depth is also valuable for the Saints, even after a dominant 38-3 win over the Green Bay Packers in Week 1. Jameis Winston threw five touchdown passes in Sunday's victory, although no receiver was targeted more than twice.

With Michael Thomas sidelined with an ankle injury and Tre'Quan Smith placed on injured reserve with a hamstring issue, an experienced player like Stills could be a key addition for this offense.    

New Orleans Saints wide receiver Michael Thomas was placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list on Tuesday.

That news comes on the same day Adam Schefter of ESPN reported New Orleans had a "handful of offensive coaches" test positive for the coronavirus.

It's not known whether Thomas tested positive for the coronavirus or was deemed to be a close contact.

The Saints placed Thomas on the physically unable to perform list Aug. 31, meaning that he would sit out the first five regular-season games. He is eligible to return from the PUP list for Week 7 against the Seattle Seahawks on Oct. 25.

As ESPN's Mike Triplett noted, the PUP placement stems from a left ankle issue that has lingered since Week 1 of the 2020 season. Thomas had surgery on the ankle in June.

The 28-year-old dominated the NFL over his first four seasons, averaging 118 catches, 1,378 yards and eight touchdowns per year from 2016-19.

He led the NFL with 125 receptions in 2018 before setting a single-season league record with 147 catches in 2019.

The second-round draft pick out of Ohio State has earned three Pro Bowl nods, two All-Pro honors and the 2019 Associated Press Offensive Player of the Year award.

Thomas is coming off a 2020 campaign in which he made seven appearances, hauling in 40 receptions for 438 yards.

The New Orleans Saints have reportedly had a "handful" of offensive coaches test positive for COVID-19.

According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, the status of those coaches is in question for the Saints' Week 2 game against the Carolina Panthers on Sunday, but a team source said, "We'll be just fine."

Schefter noted that six offensive coaches, one player and one nutritionist for the team tested positive in total.

The Saints are coming off an impressive performance in Week 1, as they defeated the Green Bay Packers 38-3 in a home game that had to be played in Jacksonville, Florida, due to the impact of Hurricane Ida.

Per NFL Network's Tom Pelissero, the Saints are now in enhanced mitigation protocols, meaning there will be daily testing and mandatory masks for all Saints players and coaches whether they are vaccinated or not.

For the first time since 2005, the Saints have begun a season with someone other than Drew Brees as their starting quarterback.

Going with Jameis Winston over Taysom Hill paid dividends early, as Winston turned in a highly efficient performance in the Saints' victory over Green Bay.

Winston only needed to attempt 20 passes, but he completed 14 of them for 148 yards with five touchdowns and no interceptions. He also rushed six times for 37 yards.

New Orleans rushed for 171 yards as a team as well, 83 of which came courtesy of lead running back Alvin Kamara.

Head coach Sean Payton is the Saints' play-caller, and since there is no indication he tested positive for COVID-19, the team should have him there on the sidelines for Sunday's game against Carolina.

The Saints' most notable offensive assistant is offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael, who has served in that role since 2009.

New Orleans also has Ronald Curry on the offensive staff. Curry has been with the Saints since 2016 and is in the midst of his first season as quarterbacks coach, working closely with Winston.

If much of the Saints' offensive coaching staff is unavailable Sunday, it could make an already tricky road matchup with the Panthers even tougher.

New Orleans Saints cornerback Marshon Lattimore will reportedly undergo surgery on his injured thumb Tuesday.

Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported Lattimore is week to week. 

The 25-year-old earned his third Pro Bowl nod in 2020 after finishing with 59 tackles, 11 pass breakups and two interceptions. The Saints rewarded him for his consistency by handing him a five-year, $97.6 million extension in September.

As the Saints prepared for their opener against the Green Bay Packers, Lattimore was questionable with a knee injury. Although he featured in the 38-3 victory, he suffered a thumb injury in that contest. 

New Orleans selected Paulson Adebo in the third round of the 2021 draft and signed Desmond Trufant on the eve of the regular season. 

The Stanford product made an immediate impact, intercepting a pass by Aaron Rodgers in his NFL debut. Together, he and Trufant will have to compensate for Lattimore's absence as the Saints look to remain on a path that will take them back to the playoffs.

The New Orleans Saints are signing veteran wide receiver Kenny Stills to their practice squad, according to NFL Network's Mike Garafolo.

Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reported earlier in the day Stills was part of a wideout group that worked out for New Orleans.

The 29-year-old was a fifth-round draft pick of the Saints in 2013 and spent his first two seasons with the organization.

He's coming off a forgettable 2021 campaign in which he caught 11 passes for 144 yards and one touchdown in 10 games with the Houston Texans. The Texans waived him last November, and he had a brief spell on the Buffalo Bills' practice squad.

Michael Thomas was absent from New Orleans' 38-3 win over the Green Bay Packers, and he'll miss the next four games at a minimum as he continues to recover from ankle surgery.

Although Jameis Winston went 14-of-20 for 148 yards and five touchdowns in Week 1, there's still a clear void in the Saints' passing game without Thomas on the field.

Nobody is expecting Stills to replicate the three-time Pro Bowler's production, but he could be a particularly good fit with Winston.

During his final year with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Winston was second behind Matthew Stafford in average intended air yards (10.5), per NFL's Next Gen Stats. Stills is averaging 15.6 yards per reception for his career, so he and New Orleans' starting quarterback may form a potent combo downfield.

Jameis Winston's debut as the New Orleans Saints' starting quarterback could not have gone better.

Winston threw for 148 yards and five touchdowns, leading the Saints to a 38-3 blowout win over the Green Bay Packers.

 "I'm grateful to be with this team," Winston said, per Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated. "I think anyone can see that this is a better team than I'd ever been with, so that brings comfort to any quarterback."

The Buccaneers finished with a winning record only once in Winston's five seasons with the franchise. 

There were periods in his tenure in which the Bucs were at a clear talent deficit. However, Tampa won the Super Bowl last season with some of the same players Winston played alongside. The Bucs then greatly benefited from Brady's ability to protect the football, something Winston didn't do as well during his tenure.

Winston is perhaps in a coaching situation more conducive to his success. Whereas Bruce Arians loves stretching the field—a tendency that led to Winston relying on his worst impulses at times—the Saints check the ball down more regularly and emphasize making the smart decision over the big play. 

"One of the great things I learned from playing with Drew [Brees] last year was decisions over results," Winston told Peter King of NBC Sports. "Sometimes the right decision is a play that gains nothing. Just keep making good decision after good decision, and the game's going to go OK."

Marshon Lattimore is spending the next six years as a member of the New Orleans Saints after reportedly agreeing to a massive five-year, $97.6 million deal Sunday.

It's an even bigger commitment by the team which is fully guaranteeing $68.35 million for injury, and $44.35 million is fully guaranteed just by signing his name on the dotted line, according to Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio. The rest will come incrementally with an average annual value of $19.5 million through 2026.

There's no question the cornerback is worth it.

In his first four years with the Saints, Lattimore has combined for 227 total tackles, 10 interceptions, five forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries and 55 pass deflections.

Here's how his contract breaks down each year, per Florio:

1. Signing bonus: $7.5 million.

2. 2021 roster bonus: $9.254 million, fully guaranteed.

3. 2021 base salary: $990,000, fully guaranteed.

4. 2022 roster bonus: $15 million, fully guaranteed.

5. 2022 base salary: $9.103 million, fully guaranteed.

6. 2023 base salary: $14.5 million, $2.5 million of which is fully guaranteed at signing. The rest becomes fully guaranteed in March 2022.

7. 2024 base salary: $15.0 million, $12 million of which is guaranteed for injury at signing. The $12 million becomes fully guaranteed in March 2023.

8. 2025 roster bonus: $2.0 million, due fifth day of the league year.

9. 2025 base salary: $16.0 million.

10. 2026 roster bonus: $2.0 million, due fifth day of the league year.

11. 2026 base salary: $16.5 million.

Lattimore will also earn an additional $500,000 each time he's named first-team or second-team All-Pro throughout the duration of his deal.

The Saints now have $247.3 million tied up under the salary cap for the 2022 season, according to Spotrac. Lattimore's new deal accounts for 13 percent of the cap next season with wideout Michael Thomas right behind him at 11.7 percent.

While New Orleans only has $183.5 million committed in 2023, that makes up 27 players on the roster—just over half of the 51 available spots. Where the Saints decide to allocate the rest of that available cash remains to be seen.

They won't have to worry about their secondary, however. Lattimore will be leading that unit for the foreseeable future.

New Orleans Saints cornerback Marshon Lattimore suffered a thumb injury that will require surgery during Sunday's win over the Green Bay Packers, per Pro Football Talk.

Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported Lattimore is considered week-to-week.

This development comes after ESPN's Adam Schefter reported earlier Sunday evening that Lattimore and the Saints agreed to a five-year, $97.6 million extension, one that can max out at $100 million. The deal reportedly includes $68.3 million guaranteed, which is the largest total in NFL history for a cornerback.

This is another setback after Lattimore missed time in 2019 with a hamstring injury on his way to 14 games. He also played 14 games in 2020.

New Orleans selected Lattimore with a first-round pick out of Ohio State in 2017, and he wasted little time making an impact.

He was the Defensive Rookie of the Year and a Pro Bowler in 2017 with 52 tackles, five interceptions, a fumble recovery and a forced fumble and followed up with 59 tackles, four forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries and two interceptions in his second season.

The cornerback was a Pro Bowler again in 2019 and 2020 and helped keep Davante Adams in check during Sunday's win.

Lattimore is consistently tasked with defending the opponent's best receiver on a weekly basis, and New Orleans will have far more difficulty shutting down aerial attacks if he is unable to play.

While the Saints don't have another cornerback who can replicate Lattimore's impact, look for Paulson Adebo to see more time if he is sidelined.

Jameis Winston helped New Orleans Saints fans move on from Drew Brees without much drama Sunday.

In his first start since Brees' retirement, Winston completed 14 of 20 passes for 148 yards and five touchdowns in a 38-3 victory over the Green Bay Packers. It was an electrifying performance for the former Florida State product.

At the very least, it should have fantasy managers questioning where Winston ranks among starting quarterbacks. That answer isn't as simple as it should be.

According to ESPN's fantasy rankings, Winston was the No. 22 starting QB heading to Week 1. While Sunday's performance is sure to bump that up, it remains to be seen by how much—and if playing him will be matchup dependent. Part of the problem is the Saints' use of multiple QBs and packages on offense.

Backup Taysom Hill threw one pass and rushed twice for four total yards Sunday. He's traditionally more involved in the offense than any other QB2 in the league, and it's easy to imagine head coach Sean Payton continuing to rely on him as the year goes on and new wrinkles are added to the playbook.

That's likely a large reason Winston was rostered in just 42 percent of Yahoo leagues and 26 percent of ESPN leagues heading into the season opener, per FantasyPros.

It's also worth considering the abnormality of Sunday's game. The Saints hosted the Packers at Jacksonville's TIAA Bank Field because of Hurricane Ida rendering the Caesars Superdome unusable. According to NOLA.com's Jeff Duncan, one of the factors in selecting the location was how difficult it would be for Packers fans to travel for the game.

Things may look different in more hostile environments for the Saints—which will be the case in Weeks 2 and 3 when they travel to face the Carolina Panthers and New England Patriots, respectively.

Any time a quarterback unleashes five touchdowns in one game, managers are going to immediately seek him out. In this case, use caution before committing too much FAAB or a top waiver selection to add Winston. There's simply not enough evidence yet that he'll be able to keep up this level of production throughout the year.