Marquez Callaway was a surprise contributor for the New Orleans Saints offense as an undrafted rookie out of Tennessee in 2020. He was just expected to provide depth after a strong training camp, but an ankle injury to Michael Thomas thrust him into a more prominent role.
After a rookie year of 21 catches for 213 yards, even more was expected out of Callaway as a Number 2 or 3 receiver complementing Thomas in 2021. Preseason ankle surgery kept Thomas out for year, however, putting Callaway and 2019 undrafted WR Deonte Harty into featured offensive roles.
The 2021 New Orleans Saints ranked dead last in passing production, averaging just 187 yards per game. Callaway was second on the team with 46 receptions and had a team-high 698 receiving yards. It was the lowest team leading total for a New Orleans receiver since 1986.
With the anticipated return of Thomas and additions of free-agent Pro Bowler Jarvis Landry and first-round pick Chris Olave, Callaway was expected to be a quality fourth wideout.
Sometimes, best-laid plans crumble quickly.
Marquez Callaway
Saints Year-In-Review
Callaway saw limited playing time to start the year behind Thomas, Landry, and Olave. He played just 50 offensive snaps in the first three games, catching his only target for a 4-yard touchdown.
Week 3 saw both Thomas and Landry get injured. Thomas would be out for the rest of the year. Landry missed five games and showed a major decline upon his return. A short-handed receiving corps was made even thinner by a season-ending injury to Harty and again put Callaway into a prominent role.
After playing 50 snaps in the first three games combined, Callaway averaged 55 offensive snaps between Weeks 4 and 7. Despite the increased action, he caught just 10 passes on 22 targets for 114 yards and no scores.
The 24-year-old Callaway continued to have difficulty getting separation as the New Orleans passing game again struggled. Olave’s rapid development and the emergence of undrafted rookie WR Rashid Shaheed cut drastically into his playing time after the midway point of the year.
Over the last 10 games, Callaway was a healthy inactive three times and averaged just 18 snaps in the other seven contests. He was targeted nine times in those seven outings, catching five for 40 yards.
In 14 games of action, Marquez Callaway had just 16 receptions on 32 targets for 158 yards and one touchdown. Even without Thomas and a limited Landry, Callaway was not able to be a playmaker for an offense in desperate need for one.
Now a restricted free agent, Callaway is a physical wideout at 6'2" and 204-Lbs. with good leaping ability and concentration in traffic. He's struggled to get separation and has proven he's not a top-3 receiver. However, New Orleans may try to bring him back at the minimum tender for depth because of his experience in the offense.
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