Saints Could Strike Gold By Signing Ex-Notre Dame Lineman With 'Upside'

Left guard is one of the New Orleans Saints’ most urgent positional needs heading into free agency and the draft.

As the Saints look to fortify their offensive line with a key signing, Philadelphia Eagles guard Mekhi Becton is a name in the ether, but he might be too expensive for cash-strapped New Orleans.

And while the Saints could draft a guard, they’re certainly not going to do so at No. 9 overall, and besides, it would be preferable to bring in someone with a few years of NFL experience to shore up the line.

One guy to keep an eye on for the Saints is Los Angeles Chargers center Sam Mustipher, who’s had a journeyman career since joining the Chicago Bears undrafted out of Notre Dame in 2019.

After an up-and-down few years with the Bears, Mustipher spent time with the Baltimore Ravens and Denver Broncos before the Charges signed him to their practice squad in August 2024 and promoted him to the active roster in October.

It’s easy to lose touch with the concept of success and failure when evaluating professional athletes, and while many fans would deem Mustipher’s career a failure thus far, the man has already stacked $4.6 million in career earnings. At 28 years old, he still has a chance to play impactful football for the right team, too, and that team could be the Saints in 2025, especially if Mustipher can play guard effectively for New Orleans.

Mustipher could be a sneaky-good cheap option for the Saints along the O-line. On Friday, Athlon Sports’