METAIRIE, La. – It didn’t take long for the good vibes in New Orleans to take a downturn. As the Saints wrapped up their first day of training camp practices, it appears that they may have already lost a key contributor on defense for the year.
Per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo, Saints defensive tackle Bryan Bresee is feared to have suffered a torn ACL during the opening practice of training camp. The injury would be season-ending. Tests are ongoing, but the outlook doesn’t appear to be positive.
It was previously reported by Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football, that an injury had indeed taken place and Bresee was undergoing further testing.
Bresee is headed into his fourth season with the Saints, who have already picked up his fifth-year option for 2027. That means his future in New Orleans isn’t going to be immediately jeopardized by this roadblock. However, the likelihood of getting an extension done before playing on that option is now significantly reduced.
During practice, Bresee was not seen exiting the field, nor was he seen expressing pain. However, after practice, his season may be over.
Bresee was lining up the 2026 season as a massive opportunity to show that he has become a complete defensive tackle after making strides against the run last year. Such a season would have catapulted his opportunity to command an early extension ahead of 2027.
If confirmed, this would be a major hit for the Saints’ defense. However, the club is set to see the return of 2025 third-round selection Vernon Broughton and the addition of second-round rookie Christen Miller this season. Both of whom just became incredibly important assets alongside veterans like Davon Godchaux and Nathan Shepherd.
