There are only a rare few players that bridged the eras of the New Orleans Saints from former head coach Sean Payton to the team’s current leader, Kellen Moore. One player, linebacker Kaden Elliss, now has that unique vantage point after choosing to return to New Orleans in free agency ahead of the 2026 season.
Elliss was drafted by the Saints in the seventh round of the 2019 NFL Draft, a team led by Payton for most of his rookie contract before he departed to join the Atlanta Falcons for the next three seasons.
Upon his return to the Big Easy, he’s been impressed with the culture the team has built with Moore at the helm.
“I wasn’t sure fully what the culture would be like without Sean,” Elliss said during following minicamp practices. “But I’ve been more than impressed and I’m really thankful for how Kellen has really built a special culture here that I think is ready to take off.”
Culture and camaraderie have been consistent throughlines of Moore’s tenure so far. Going into just his second season as the Saints’ head coach, he’s established a connection from coaching staff through the roster and beyond that every member of the organization has praised.
From team outings and weight room competitions to training staff races during breaks in practice and player-first leadership, Moore’s team-friendly approach has been something both incumbent and new players have taken notice of and appreciated.
Elliss’s appreciation for the opportunity to return to New Orleans is only amplified by the approach, as he was already excited to make the return when the possibility presented itself.
“This happens so rarely,” Elliss said of his chance to return to New Orleans. “For it to happen, you didn’t think it was going to. Then, all of a sudden, calls go the way they go and, all of a sudden, it’s like, ‘Hey,might be New Orleans.’ When you do realize it’s a possibility, the thankfulness for something familiar, the thankfulness for such an awesome city and a well-run organization permeated the entire thoughts from there.”
Elliss, fellow linebacker Pete Werner and defensive ends Cameron Jordan and Carl Granderson are the only remaining defenders to see each of the Saints’ most recent iterations from Payton to Moore and it’s becoming increasingly clear that each of them sees something worthwhile in the team’s current direction.
