The New Orleans Saints and defensive tackle Nathan Shepherd have reached a one-year contract extension. NFL Insider Josina Anderson first reported the news on Monday afternoon. This marks the first day teams can negotiate with free agents from other teams, which has already sparked a wave of signings across the NFL. However, the Saints have yet to sign a player from another team, although they did trade for defensive tackle Davon Godchaux from the New England Patriots, sending a seventh-round pick in the 2026 draft in return. Over the weekend, New Orleans also re-signed wide receiver Dante Pettis to a one-year contract. Unfortunately, the Saints lost cornerback Paulson Adebo, who agreed to terms with the New York Giants.
Shepherd, 31, has been with the Saints for the past two seasons, following a five-year stint with the New York Jets after being drafted in the third round of the 2018 NFL Draft from Fort Hays State. In 2023, his first year with New Orleans, Shepherd recorded career-highs with 3.5 sacks, 8 quarterback hits, and 50 total tackles. However, his production dropped slightly last season, as he totaled 37 tackles, including 1.5 sacks, three tackles for loss, and nine pressures. The Saints finished the 2024 season ranked 30th in total defense, with poor rankings in both pass defense (27th) and run defense (31st). At 6’4″ and 315 pounds, Shepherd is expected to play an interior role on the Saints’ defensive line. Under new defensive coordinator Brandon Staley, the team is anticipated to shift to a base 3-4 defensive scheme.
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