The New Orleans Saints brought linebacker Jaylan Ford and safety Lorenzo Styles Jr. back from injured reserve on Saturday, October 10, restoring two defenders to the roster a day before they host the Minnesota Vikings at Caesars Superdome.
The moves come at a useful moment for a defense that gave up 45 points to the Atlanta Falcons on Monday night. Linebacker Kaden Elliss (calf) and edge rusher Anfernee Jennings (knee) have already been ruled out for Sunday, so Ford in particular adds a body at a position that is suddenly thin.
The club also called up two players from its practice squad for the game: offensive tackle Easton Kilty and wide receiver Cedric Tillman. To open roster spots, New Orleans waived receiver Kevin Austin Jr. and cornerback Decamerion Richardson.
Saints announce roster moves#Saints | @Shift4 https://t.co/ihm3w5SmK4
— New Orleans Saints (@Saints) October 10, 2026
Why Ford and Styles were on the sidelines
Ford started the season on injured reserve with an ankle injury after being placed there with a return designation at the August roster cutdown, and he sat out the first four games. Styles, a fifth-round rookie, went on injured reserve before the opener with a calf injury. Both had their practice windows opened this week and took every practice rep in full from Wednesday through Friday. Each still carries a questionable tag for Sunday, the designation the team had given them on Friday’s report.
Ford showed his ball skills in the preseason, picking off a pass on August 15.
JAYLAN FORD INT!#Saints | 📺: FOX-8 pic.twitter.com/PwzJhQKFki
— New Orleans Saints (@Saints) August 15, 2026
Two practice-squad call-ups
Tillman spent three seasons with the Cleveland Browns, who drafted him in the third round in 2023, and totaled 833 receiving yards on 71 catches in Cleveland, five of them touchdowns. Cleveland let him go at the end of training camp, and New Orleans signed him to its practice squad on September 1. Kilty, listed at 6-foot-6 and 307 pounds, worked at both tackle and center during camp and offers line depth with guard Jeremiah Wright out after a concussion. It has been reported that the Saints would like to bring Austin and Richardson back on the practice squad if they clear waivers; the team has not said so.
The Saints also added defensive linemen Nathan Shepherd and Vernon Broughton to the injury report as questionable with an illness, joining defensive tackle Christen Miller, who missed Friday’s practice for the same reason. Running back Alvin Kamara (back) and safety Julian Blackmon (shoulder) are questionable as well. Minnesota will be without tackle Christian Darrisaw (concussion) and lists Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison and Brian O’Neill as questionable. Every team’s game designations are on our injury report page, and the full list of the day’s moves is on the transactions page.
What comes next
The Vikings visit the Saints on Sunday, October 11, at 1:00 p.m. EDT (Game Center). New Orleans then travels to face the New York Giants on Sunday, October 18, at 1:00 p.m. EDT.
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