Aug 14, 2025; Carson, CA, USA; A New Orleans Saints helmet on the field during a joint practice against the Los Angeles Rams at the Dignity Health Sports Park. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Saints’ $9M Veteran Faces Benching Talk Head On

Originally posted on New Orleans Saints on SI
By Patrick McAvoy | Last updated Sep 25, 2025 2:00 PM ET

The New Orleans Saints have some questions to address after an 0-3 start to the 2025 National Football League season.

Before the season, the Saints were more aggressive than some expected. New Orleans' salary cap situation wasn't great but the Saints pushed some of those issues into the future. The Saints re-signed some of their guys, like Chase Young and Juwan Johnson and added other pieces, like Brandin Cooks and Justin Reid and seemingly prepared to try to make a run in the division this season.

The New Orleans Saints have already made some decisions about playing time it seems

Another move the Saints made was signing cornerback Isaac Yiadom to a three-year, $9 million deal to return to the franchise after spending the 2024 season with the San Francisco 49ers. Yiadom started the first game of the season for the Saints and played 100 percent of the team's defensive snaps. Each of the last two weeks, though, his playing time has gone down. He played 53.5 percent of the defensive snaps Week 2 and 42.1 percent of the defensive snaps Week 3 against the Seattle Seahawks.

In San Francisco last year, He played in all 17 games and started five games. Now, his role isn't as clear. Although that is the case, he had a near-perfect quote about his role on the team, as transcribed by The Times-Picayune and The Advocate's Matthew Paras.

"I don’t think the coaches are thinking, ‘Yo, let’s do this so we can get a pick,’” Yiadom said. “We’re trying to win today. We’re trying to win Sundays, so I would be surprised if that goes into anything...

"At some point, they’re going to have to develop their players,” Yiadom said. “Whenever that point is, as a vet, you’ve just got to bring them along. Just like my vets handled me, taught me the game, that’s the same thing I’mma do, to teach him the game, help him grow and make sure that when he do get out there, he’s helping us win."

At this point, Yiadom is an eight-year NFL veteran. He clearly has seen it all and you can't ask for much more of a person with their playing time getting trimmed.

More NFL: Maurice Jones-Drew Pitches Saints-Chiefs Alvin Kamara Blockbuster

This article first appeared on New Orleans Saints on SI and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: