The New Orleans Saints are bringing in a familiar name that could help bring some punch to their pass rush.
Veteran defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul was in town for a workout on Monday and the Saints are planning to sign him to the practice squad, according to reports. The move has not yet been officially announced and was first reported by Josina Anderson of CBS Sports.
Pierre-Paul, 34, was a first-round pick of the New York Giants in 2010. JPP played his first eight seasons in New York, winning a Super Bowl in 2012 over Tom Brady and the Patriots. Pierre Paul joined the Tampa Bay Bucs in 2018 and ultimately won another Super Bowl in 2020 as Brady's teammate. Pierre-Paul's latest stop was Baltimore where he appeared in 14 games in 2022. He's been a free agent for the first 10 weeks of this season, but recently expressed interest in signing to a practice squad.
JPP has played both outside linebacker and defensive end in his career, the latter of which he'd be asked to play in the Saints' scheme. He's had a highly productive career, racking up 629 tackles, 94.5 sacks, five interceptions, 21 forced fumbles and 10 fumble recoveries. Pierre-Paul also owns the Bucs' franchise record for most consecutive games with a sack (6).
As a member of the practice squad, Pierre-Paul would be eligible to be elevated three times before he would have to be added to the active roster. His presence could be a boost for a defensive line that has struggled mightily to contain quarterbacks to this point in the season, and has registered just 17 sacks, the third lowest total in the NFL. The Saints have also been without rookie DE Isaiah Foskey, who is dealing with a quad injury.