Audric Estime joked that he felt homeless, hopping between hotels during a stint on the Vikings practice squad and his three odd weeks on the Browns roster. But when he was claimed off waivers this week and the Saints asked him whether he needed to be set up in a hotel, he declined.
No need for a hotel, he'd just move back into his apartment in the New Orleans area. The one that felt like home.
“I never broke that [lease]. I felt like I was coming back," Estime said. "I moved back into my apartment. I had all my furniture, I had all the clothes, I had everything.”
That likely and desired return was a sentiment shared by both Estime and the team, despite the decision to release the 23-year-old running back from injured reserve with an injury settlement. The former 5th round pick of the Broncos emerged as the lead back for the Saints late in the 2025 season due to injuries. He appeared in seven games and rolled up 198 yards and a touchdown on 46 carries (4.3 YPC), including a 32-yard touchdown run in the win over the Titans that went down as the Saints' longest run of the season.
He returned in 2026 and played his way onto the initial Saints roster with a strong training camp. Estime looked in line to have some kind of role in a crowded backfield, but that changed after he suffered a quad injury in the preseason finale against the Cowboys. Estime projected confidence that the injury wasn't severe, but the team opted to place him on injured reserve, regardless. That meant he landed with a glut of players on that list, and the Saints had to decide how to dole out their limited return slots. Teams can only bring eight players back from IR per season, and as of Week 2 they already had five players -- Jaylon Ford, Jordyn Tyson, Lorenzo Styles, Zach Wood and Kelvin Banks -- accounting for those slots.
That was when the Saints opted to waive Estime with an injury settlement, an often misunderstood roster move that means the Saints and the player agree to the length that the injury would've been expected to keep that player out. The player gets compensated for that time, but is also freed up to sign with another team. The team that agrees to the settlement isn't allowed to re-sign that player until the settlement term is up, plus an additional three weeks.
Saints head coach Kellen Moore said the hope was always that there'd be an opportunity for Estime to return, but there was no way to know for sure. That chance came this week when the Browns opted to waive the RB, and the Saints jumped at it.
“We love [Estime]," Moore said. "You know, that was one of those tough business decisions when you’re navigating a roster, managing a roster that we lost him and fortunate for us there was an opportunity to get him back into our building and I think everyone was fired up for that.”
The player himself said he felt the same way.
"No one told me anything," Estime said. "I just had a feeling like I had unfinished business here and I feel like I had an opportunity here.”
Estime spent a few weeks rehabbing before landing on the Vikings practice squad, which just happened to coincide with Minnesota's road trip to New Orleans. Estime was able to catch up with his then-former players and coaches, though it was weird watching the game from the opposing sideline. He was signed off the Vikings practice squad by the Browns on Oct. 13 and appeared in one game, logging 9 carries for 19 yards and a touchdown.
It's only fitting that he now gets to face a former team again, with Cleveland arriving in the Caesars Superdome for a Week 9 showdown on Sunday. Esime laughed, but did confirm that he'd be relaying whatever he could this week from what he learned during his time in Cleveland.
"I’m a little spy," he said, "so I’m gonna be giving the defense a little tell."
Whether Estime has a role immediately in the Saints offense remains to be seen. Star free agent acquisition Travis Etienne has been on IR since suffering a hamstring injury in Week 3 and looks to be out at least another week. In his absence the Saints have turned to a committee approach with Alvin Kamara, Kendre Miller and undrafted rookie CJ Donaldson. Kamara has been navigating a back issue and Donaldson is working back from a shoulder injury and concussion suffered during the loss to the Steelers in Paris.
Unlike most midseason acquisitions, like Estime was around the same time of the season last year, he already knows the ins and outs of Kellen Moore's offense. After an 18-yard rushing output against the Steelers in Paris, the team could certainly be looking for a spark in that area, not unlike he's provided when given opportunities. If that comes this week against the team that just cut him, all the better.
"I just feel like any opportunity is an opportunity," Estime said. "I feel like I know what I can bring to the table and I’m just excited to get the opportunity again, and I’m just excited to go out and do what I do best.”
The Saints (2-5) host the Browns (5-3) for a noon kickoff Sunday inside Caesars Superdome. Catch all the action on WWL and Audacy.
