EXCLUSIVE: Will Clapp assuming leadership role during injury recovery

By Ross Jackson

After suffering an injury in the first preseason game of the 2025 season, New Orleans Saints center Will Clapp was unfortunately sidelined for the year after being placed on Injured Reserve. But that has not stopped the veteran lineman and former LSU Tiger from contributing to and working alongside his teammates.

In an exclusive interview on 104.5 ESPN Baton Rogue’s After Further Review, host Matt Moscona and Clapp discussed a long list of categories including his injury recovery, the Saints’ season and coaching staff so far and his work to help support his team throughout the season.

“I do my rehab in the mornings and I’ll go to sit in meetings,” Clapp said. “I’m the only one that’s been with [head coach Kellen Moore] and [offensive line coach Brendan Nugent] from [Los Angeles]. So I’ll ask questions in the line room. Maybe a question that a younger player might not want to ask or think to ask. Just do stuff like that. I make some cutups during the week for the guys. Just stuff that I always thought would be helpful or things that I liked when I was a younger player.”

Beyond that, Clapp has also been working with the coaching staff on the sideline during games. Moore was asked about the offensive lineman’s contributions, and he highlighted his familiarity with Clapp and praised his impact.

“Will’s phenomenal,” Moore said during his bye week media availability. “I had a chance to be with him in [Los Angeles]. Obviously, played a ton of snaps for us there and then unfortunately had the injury in preseason this year. He’s a huge part of this. He’s an important part of our experience here with the offensive line. We have some younger guys playing. Will’s got a ton of experience in this league. He’s been an awesome asset for Brendan and the rest of the O-line coaches.”

As for the injury that led to all of this, Clapp’s foot ailment was no small tweak. He suffered a lisfranc tear, the same injury that sidelined quarterback Taysom Hill in both 2015 with BYU and 2022 with the Saints.

“I tore my lisfranc,” he said.”Just a really tough situation. First play in the first preseason game in [Los Angeles]. We call a little old quick pass play and the guy hits me with a little bull-to-swim, and when I went to redirect on his swim move I just felt my whole foot give out. I limped back to the huddle and I was trying to convince myself I was good to go. Played another snap and I was like, ‘I’m not right.’”

Despite the injury, Clapp has kept his spirits up, which is reflective of the rest of the team. Although the club is 2-8 through its first 10 contests, Clapp highlights that Moore’s leadership has done a good job keeping the ship righted and on course.

“Kellen’s not a guy who gets too high or too low,” Clapp said. ”Obviously we had a rough go of it [in the] beginning part of the year. We got a win last week, which is huge for everybody going into the bye week, but I never felt like he was he was getting down or even when we beat the Giants, he’s always about his process and ‘Just keep going.’”

Clapp spent time with Moore during their 2023 season together with the Los Angeles Chargers and observed that the coach has a very similar level-headed approach now as he did then. As for the effectiveness of that approach, Moore has won Clapp’s vote. And it sounds like he’s won the vote of the roster as a whole as well.

“I think the way that he’s building this thing is the right way to go about it,” he said. “We’ve all enjoyed having him as our head coach.”