Saints May Cut Ties With 26-Year-Old LB Before Trade Deadline

The New Orleans Saints don't have much time until they are going to have to decide whether or not they want to trade pieces away before the 2025 National Football League trade deadline.

The deadline is coming up quickly. As of writing, there are just six days to go until the trade deadline and we've already seen moves start popping up around the league. For example, the New England Patriots completed separate trades with the San Francisco 49ers and Pittsburgh Steelers on Monday to trade away Keion White and Kyle Dugger.

Trades are coming around the league. But, what could that look like for the Saints? Much of the chatter has been about guys like Alvin Kamara and Chris Olave, but neither seems likely to move at this point. Kamara point-blank said he doesn't want to get traded and mentioned retirement. Reports surfaced that Olave and the Saints have spoken about a potential extension. There are guys out there who could be available and ESPN's Katherine Terrell specifically mentioned linebacker Pete Werner as someone to watch.

"Who could be on the move? Linebacker Pete Werner," Terrell said. "Alvin Kamara and Olave have drawn the most attention, but Werner could be an under-the-radar candidate. The Saints have started to get rookie Danny Stutsman and second-year player Isaiah Stalbird playing time in the past two games, which has kept Werner off the field. That could mean the team is trying to get an evaluation of their young players before making a decision on Werner's future."

A Pete Werner trade would be the right type of move for New Orleans

Oct 12, 2025; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New England Patriots wide receiver Demario Douglas (3) runs for a gain past New Orleans Saints linebacker Pete Werner (20) during the first quarter at Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images | Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

A deal involving Werner is the type of move New Orleans should consider. He signed a three-year, $22.5 million deal with New Orleans. His cap hit jumps up to just under $8 million in 2026 and then just over $8.2 million in 2026. For a team that has salary cap issues, and also younger -- and cheaper -- options on the roster, this would be the type of move to save some cash without hurting the roster too much.

That's not any shade at Werner. He's a talented player with two sacks on the season so far to go along with three passes defended and 52 tackles, but the Saints likely could get some draft compensation back for him and already have replacements on the roster.

This is the type of move the Saints should consider rather than even thinking about someone like Kamara. The Saints' running back depth is thin, to say the least. Plus, trying to trade a guy like that who has meant as much to New Orleans as he has would be devastating to the fanbase.

The trade deadline is coming and the Saints are going to get talked about a lot, but a full-on firesale doesn't seem likely.

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