NEW ORLEANS, La. — The New Orleans Saints wasted no time filling the void left by star safety Tyrann Mathieu’s retirement by signing a veteran safety the same day.
Hours after the retirement announcement, the Saints moved to sign former Indianapolis Colts safety Julian Blackmon, per ESPN’s Jesse Palmer.
The signing was also confirmed by NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport.
The #Saints have found their replacement for the Honey Badger, as they are signing #Colts FA S Julian Blackmon, sources say.
Tyrann Mathieu’s retirement today led to a pre-camp roster move. pic.twitter.com/d24maKSHaJ
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) July 23, 2025
Blackmon has been in the league for five years and has shown a penchant for playmaking in the process. He’s secured 10 interceptions, along with 21 passes defended and a whopping 300 combined tackles throughout his time in Indianapolis.
The Utah grad entered the league in 2020 as a third-round pick and is freshly on the market following the expiration of his recent contract with the Colts.
Blackmon will bring valuable NFL experience to the otherwise progressively younger room following the retirement of Mathieu. He’ll enter the competition for starting reps alongside top challengers: rookie Jonas Sanker and third-year safety Jordan Howden.
Going back to the #Colts–#Titans tape…
Rookie safety Julian Blackmon —
I always talk about DBs “playing with a sense of urgency.” Can see that here.
Downhill with speed — to eliminate the distance to the ball carrier. No hesitation. Go make the play. @NFLMatchup pic.twitter.com/SILghDwoMx
— Matt Bowen (@MattBowen41) November 14, 2020
During his short time in the league, Blackmon has spent 556 snaps in the slot, 811 in the box and 2,704 as a deep coverage safety. The 6-foot, 202-pound safety has both the versatility, range and playmaking ability to challenge to be the team’s starter next to veteran safety Justin Reid.
