Wil Lutz didn't want to leave the Saints, but he didn't have much of a choice with the team shipping him out to Denver to reunite with former head coach Sean Payton.
But the enormity of what he was able to accomplish with the Saints the past seven seasons wasn't lost on Lutz, who shared a heartfelt message thanking the fans that have supported him since he won a job himself as an unproven UDFA out of Georgia State.
"New Orleans, thank you for the best 7 years of my life," Lutz wrote. "Being able to rock the Black and Gold has been an absolute honor. We started a family here, made life long friends, and made memories we’ll never forget. This city will always be a special place to us.
"Proud of everything we accomplished in our 7 years together….Pro Bowl, 4 Division champs, and leaving with the 2nd most points in team history. New Orleans, I’ll always be apart of the WhoDatNation! Excited for the next chapter of our lives."
Lutz had been in a spirited kicking competition with UDFA Blake Grupe throughout camp, and one that seemed to go down to the wire, with neither player clearly pulling away.
Not everyone was as gracious about the situation, however, with Lutz' agent John Perla making it clear how he felt to Broncos reporter Chris Tomasson.
“He didn’t lose his job," Perla was reported as saying. "The Saints just made a poor decision. The better player is not the one who is left on the Saints’ roster, I’ll tell you that.”
Time will tell whether the Saints made the right decision at both placekicker and punter, where they also went with a UDFA over an established veteran with Lou Hedley reportedly winning the job over Blake Gillikin.
The moves came as the Saints trimmed down its roster to 53 on Tuesday, with all teams required to have done so by 3 p.m. (central).
