Saints Sack Artist From Notre Dame Enters Make-Or-Break Season

For one New Orleans Saints defensive player, 2025 will be a make-or-break season.

Second-round picks in the National Football League don’t have a fifth-year option built into their contracts, making years three and four of their rookie deal a tad more meaningful in terms of performance evaluation.

This is pertinent context for 24-year-old Saints edge rusher Isaiah Foskey, who is set to enter his third NFL season.

Foskey was selected by New Orleans at No. 40 overall in the 2023 NFL draft out of Notre Dame.

In 41 games for the Fighting Irish, Foskey tallied 122 tackles and a school-record 26.5 sacks.

Foskey appeared in 10 games during his rookie season for the Saints, tallying nine tackles. Last season, Foskey’s sophomore NFL year, he appeared in all 17 games for New Orleans, accruing 25 tackles.

Now, it’s time for Foskey to step up his contributions even further or otherwise risk watching his value in New Orleans’ front office — and perhaps league-wide — permanently diminish.

Foskey was a headlining topic of intrigue for LouisianaSports.Net’s Ross Jackson on Wednesday.

“Going into 2025, this is the most important season for the young edge rusher,” Jackson said during an episode of the Locked On Saints podcast.

“He was like a little bit of a hybrid pass rusher (at Notre Dame), a linebacker in that way. And then he arrived here in New Orleans, and he became a hand-in-the-dirt, run defender … and then eventually got relegated to a special team's role.”

“He's … going into this third year, which could make or break his entire future when it comes to his time, at least here in New Orleans, and potentially his time in the NFL, as well.”

Luckily for Foskey, his do-or-die season might coincide with the best opportunity for him to thrive from a scheme perspective, at least according to Jackson.

“I do think that he's a talented player, and right now, he's going into what might be the most comfortable situation he's been in so far since he entered the league,” Jackson continued.

“He's gonna be asked to do what it is that he does well, which is stand up, be fast, rush the passer.”

“This is the proving ground for him at this point, because I expect that we're gonna see a lot of roster turnover on the defensive side of the football next year … for Foskey, (it’s) a real now-or-never, make or break opportunity, because he could extend his window here in New Orleans, or it could be the end of his time in New Orleans, depending upon how 2025 goes.”

Knowing how important 2025 is to Foskey should give fans reason to root for him this season.

We often assume that professional athletes are on cruise control as soon as they’ve ‘made it’ into a pro league and are making millions of dollars. And while the comforts and spoils of being in such a position shouldn’t be overlooked, the majority of pro athletes are continually fighting to increase or preserve their value, oftentimes with their careers in the balance.

With the way that contracts are structured, not all seasons are equally important for guys like Isaiah Foskey; some are vital, and that couldn’t be more true for Foskey’s 2025.

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