JUST IN: Former Vols WR Marquez Callaway Makes Saints Final Roster

It’s been a tough weekend for former Tennessee players in the NFL so far, with safety Nigel Warrior, wide receiver Jauan Jennings, and quarterback Josh Dobbs all being waived after failing to make their organizations’ final 53-man roster; however, the Vols finally received some good news on Saturday afternoon when the Saints announced that wide receiver Marquez Callaway has made their 53-man roster.

Callaway was originally not selected in any of the 7 rounds of the 2020 NFL Draft, but the Saints were able to reach a deal with the former Vols standout through free agency almost immediately after the draft’s conclusion. Longtime Saints head coach Sean Payton was very impressed with Callaway’s work throughout the off-season, and even commented on his thoughts regarding the rookie receiver in a recent press conference with the media.

“There’s been glimpses,” explained Payton. “He has speed. He had a few snaps today where you see it in special teams. He certainly has the one, two. He’s obviously learning at a very quick pace because this whole group they’re coming in at a little bit of a disadvantage.”

“They’re coming in without maybe the foundation they normally would have,” continued the Saints head coach. “Then the other element that they’re having to deal with is without playing any preseason games, how do we know who these guys are? We talked about this a night ago, telling a story about making a first impression. So these practices, in essence, become their preseason games. All of it’s being evaluated, but (Callaway is) a player we’re looking closely at, I’ve been encouraged with some of his progress.”

Callaway earned roughly 1,700 yards throughout his four-season career at Tennessee, and racked up 92 passes in addition to 13 touchdowns. The former Volunteer is also known for his dynamic reputation as a punt returner, as Callaway’s 3 touchdown returns are the second most in Tennessee history, and his 13.6 average return is also forth in the history of the program.

The former Tennessee wide receiver’s first game in the NFL will come next Sunday when the Saints will take their home-field against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The match-up will be televised by Fox Sports, and the current kick-off time is set for 4:25ET.