By Ross Jackson
A former teammate of New Orleans Saints quarterback Tyler Shough is on his way to the Crescent City. At least for a visit, that is.
Per NewOrleans.Football’s Nick Underhill, the Saints are hosting Louisville wide receiver and draft prospect Chris Bell for a visit.
This would account for one of the Saints’ 30 allotted Top 30 visits because they are hosting Bell at the team facility.
The Louisville wideout is a prime candidate for this kind of pre-draft meeting as it allows the team’s medical staff to personally evaluate Bell’s recovery from a late-season ACL tear.
Bell said during the NFL Scouting Combine that he would be cleared to run again in a week’s time, which aligns with this visit. He also shared the estimated timeline he was given by his doctor, Dr. Dan Cooper, for his return to the field.
“Dr. Cooper said I’ll be potentially returning by training camp,” he said. “But I’m taking it day-by-day and I want to progress faster than that.”
The 6-foot-2, 222 pound wideout would add a new element to the Saints offense as a run after catch, physical wideout with explosive traits. He was a consensus first-round pass-catcher throughout the 2025 college football season until his injury.
Chris Bell can flat out roll at 6’2”, 220.
Legit juice after the catch. pic.twitter.com/LPkFEwnE5o
— Ryan Fowler (@_RyanFowler_) October 17, 2025
Last year, he reeled in 72 receptions for 917 receiving yards and six touchdown receptions. He averaged 83.4 receiving yards per game.
He and Shough were teammates in 2024 at Louisville, Shough’s final collegiate season before being selected No. 40 overall by the Saints in the 2025 NFL Draft.
This visit will be the first and very important step towards potentially reuniting the two in New Orleans. Should all check out medically, Bell could be a home run hitter to add in the Day 2 of the draft.
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