Inside The Panthers

Pitt's Bub Means Signs First NFL Contract

Former Pitt Panthers wideout Bub Means is now officially an NFL player.

Stephen Thompson

Oct 28, 2023; South Bend, Indiana, USA; Pittsburgh Panthers wide receiver Bub Means (0) catches a
Oct 28, 2023; South Bend, Indiana, USA; Pittsburgh Panthers wide receiver Bub Means (0) catches a / Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports

PITTSBURGH -- Former Pitt Panthers wide receiver Bub Means has made his transition to the NFL official this week as he signed his first NFL contract with the New Orleans Saints.

Means, who transferred to Pitt from Louisiana Tech and started for two seasons, was picked in the fifth round by the Saints and put pen to paper on a deal worth $4,274,276 over four years, with $254,276 due at the time of signing.

Means caught just 68 passes for 1,122 yards and eight touchdowns over the last two seasons with the Panthers, the second-highest yardage total of any Pitt pass-catcher over that span. He came on strong, particularly over the final two thirds of the 2023 season. He did deal with some subpar quarterback play at times, but those numbers still put him behind the other top wide receivers in his class in terms of production. 

He made up for it with outstanding testing numbers at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis, Indiana. Means moved well, especially for someone at his size. He has speed and strong hands that were intriguing enough to scouts as he went through pre-draft scouting events and it led to him getting a shot in New Orleans.

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Stephen Thompson

STEPHEN THOMPSON

Stephen Thompson graduated with a bachelor's degree in communications and political science from Pitt in April 2022 after spending four years as a sports writer and editor at The Pitt News, the University of Pittsburgh's independent, student-run newspaper.  He primarily worked the Pitt men's basketball beat, and filled in on coverage of football, volleyball, softball, gymnastics and lacrosse, in addition to other sports as needed. His work at The Pitt News has won awards from the Pennsylvania News Media Association and Associated College Press.  During the spring and summer of 2021, Stephen interned for Pittsburgh Sports Now, covering baseball in western Pennsylvania. Hailing from Washington D.C., family ties have cultivated a love of Boston's professional teams and Pitt athletics, and a fascination with sports in general.  You can reach Stephen by email at stephenethompson00@gmail.com and follow him on Twitter. Read his latest work: