Oct 15, 2023; Houston, Texas, USA; View of a Crucial Catch logo on the helmet of New Orleans Saints defensive end Cameron Jordan (94) before the game against the Houston Texans at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

Saints Announce 5-Move Week 2 Roster Shakeup

Originally posted on New Orleans Saints on SI
By Patrick McAvoy | Last updated Sep 14, 2025 10:00 AM ET

The New Orleans Saints were certainly busy ahead of Week 2 getting the roster in order.

It was reported early in the week that the Saints were losing starting safety Julian Blackmon potentially for the season. On Saturday, the team officially announced that Blackmon has been placed on the Injured Reserve and in the process also announced Jonah Williams has been signed to the active roster, Terrell Burgess and Fadil Diggs were elevated from the practice squad, and Ja'Lynn Polk was acquired from the New England Patriots in a trade.

The Saints have had a wild week

"The New Orleans Saints have signed defensive end Jonah Williams to the active roster from the practice squad, elevated (standard) safety Terrell Burgess and defensive end Fadil Diggs to the active roster for Sunday's game against the San Francisco 49ers and placed safety Julian Blackmon on Injured Reserve," the team announced. "The team has also acquired wide receiver Ja'Lynn Polk from the New England Patriots in exchange for future considerations.

"Polk, 6-1, 203, who was on Injured Reserve with New England, which he remains on with the Saints, was a second round draft pick (37th overall) in the 2024 NFL Draft out of the University of Washington by New England and played in 15 games with seven starts and recorded 12 receptions for 87 yards with two touchdowns as a rookie. After starting his college career at Texas Tech in 2020, Polk transferred to Washington in 2021. In 2023, the Lufkin, Texas native was a key part of UW's Pac-12 Championship team that reached the National Championship game, finishing with 69 receptions for 1,159 yards."

The loss of Blackmon will have the biggest impact on the 2025 season. He was brought in to be a starter and replace Tyrann Mathieu after his retirement. The most intriguing move is the acquisition of Polk. The Saints have been stockpiling young receivers with upside, like Devaughn Vele recently. Polk won't play the rest of the season, thoguh. This is a move clearly with an eye towards 2026.

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

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