Saints Lose 7-Year Veteran For Season

The New Orleans Saints have two games left this season and will play them without the services of tight end Foster Moreau.

Moreau recorded one catch for five yards in the team's Week 16 win over the New York Jets, but injured his ankle. On Friday, the Saints announced that he has been placed on the Injured Reserve, thus ending his season. In response, the team signed rookie tight end Moliki Matavao to the active roster.

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"New Orleans Saints Executive Vice President/General Manager Mickey Loomis announced today that the club has signed tight end Moliki Matavao to the active roster from the practice squad and placed tight end Foster Moreau on Injured Reserve," the Saints announced. "Moliki Matavao (pronounced MO-lee-key mah-tah-VOW), 6-8, 263, was selected by New Orleans in the seventh round (248th overall) out of UCLA.

"He started 22 of 50 games played for Oregon (2021-22) and UCLA (2023-24) and logged 74 receptions for 998 yards (13.5 avg.) with six touchdowns. In 2024, he led the Bruins with 41 receptions for 506 yards with two scoring grabs. In the 2025 regular season, he has played in four games for New Orleans and contributed on both offense and special teams. In the preseason, he recorded four receptions for 29 yards."

Moreau, in his seventh season in the National Football League, played in 11 games with the Saints this season, including nine starts. Overall, he finished the campaign with seven catches and 59 receiving yards on the season. Both metrics were the fewest -- or tied for the fewest -- in his career.

Matavao has appeared in four games this season, but hasn't recorded a catch to this point. He was selected in the seventh round of the 2025 NFL Draft by the Saints with the No. 248 overall pick. Juwan Johnson is the team's clear-cut No. 1 tight end, but these next two games will be an opportunity for the rookie to show what he can do.

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