Saints’ Alvin Kamara, Rashid Shaheed both on Week 9 injury report amid trade rumors
The New Orleans Saints are in sell mode, and rumors have surfaced that both Alvin Kamara and Rashid Shaheed could be on the move.
The New Orleans Saints' season has officially gone off the rails. They are 1-7 following a 23-3 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last Sunday. Granted, there were not the highest of expectations entering the season.
Nevertheless, the losses have stacked up. That has firmly put the Saints in the trade crosshairs of several teams. Both Rashid Shaheed and Alvin Kamara have been rumored to be involved in trade talks. ESPN's Adam Schefter was even quoted on his podcast, letting Saints fans know to brace for a deal, with Shaheed being the most likely, per Whodatdish.com.
Coincidentally, both the running back and wide receiver appeared on the Saints' Week 9 injury report.
Kamara is dealing with an ankle injury he sustained a few weeks ago. The injury did not cost him any time on the field, but it might have been exacerbated this past week against the Bucs when a defender rolled up his leg.
Meanwhile, Shaheed left Sunday's loss with a hip injury. He hit the ground hard in the fourth quarter and needed to be checked out by trainers.
Both players were limited in practice on Wednesday, which is a good sign for them suiting up this week. They will be needed if the Saints want any shot at a second victory on Sunday.
New Orleans travels to Los Angeles to face the 5-2 Rams. LA is coming off its bye week and is mostly healthy. The Rams' defense has been dominating this year, which will make life difficult for the Saints.
But that is increasingly true with New Orleans starting Tyler Shough at quarterback. Shough will make his NFL debut in a difficult spot. If either Kamara or Shaheed is unavailable, life will be that much more difficult for the rookie signal-caller.
Former Saints fan favorite is joining forces with one of fans' most hated
Well, this wasn't something on my bingo card. Per Adam Schefter of ESPN, former New Orleans Saints Safety CJ Gardner-Johnson is signing to the Chicago Bears active roster. He'll be rejoining his former defensive coordinator and man who traded him in 2022, Dennis Allen.
He'll be reuniting with many former Saints players in the windy city; however, the most notable reunion is the one he'll have with Allen. Back when Gardner-Johnson was stepping onto the field in black and gold, his defensive coordinator then was also Dennis Allen. The seventh-year man has effectively gone back to his roots.
Chicago won't be the only city Gardner-Johnson has played for in 2025. At the beginning of the season, he was in Houston with the Texans before being released in the last week of September. He would then be singing "Good Morning Baltimore", but only for a week before being cut yet again. "Football has always been a big part of who I am, and my passion for the game is still strong," the safety said after being released by the Ravens. "I’m excited to keep working, keep improving..."
Chauncey Gardner-Johnson's journey since leaving the Crescent City
CJ Gardner-Johnson, when playing for the Saints, was an icon, a legend, and the moment in New Orleans. The team's go-to hype man, the Super Dome cameras would pan to him during the game to get the fans riled up. That makes the way he left the team that much more disappointing.
You see, Gardner-Johnson was due for a new contract. Both he and the Saints wanted to work out a deal but could not come to an agreement on what the number would be; however, wanting more money than the team was offering him, Gardner-Johnson would refuse coaching, clashing with the staff during practices. "See, this is what you all wanted!" he reportedly shouted after coming up limping during a 7-7 drill.
A trade would be put together, and shortly thereafter, he was officially a former New Orleans Saint, being sent to Philadelphia for a fifth-round pick and a sixth-round pick on Aug. 30, 2022. Following a year with the Eagles, Gardner-Johnson would then sign a one-year contract with the Detroit Lions before turning right around and signing a three-year deal with the Eagles once the 2023 season was over. A month after winning Super Bowl LIX with Philly, he would be traded to the Texans.
Unfortunately for Gardner-Johnson, he would not last long in the Lone Star State, being cut just six months after the trade due to friction with the team. He would spend a week in Baltimore with the Ravens before veing released by them as well.
Now, he's in Chicago, but with the defensive coordinator who drafted him into this league. Maybe, just maybe, he still misses his time in New Orleans, because aside from the scenery, he's effectively back where he started.
