Audric Estime got his revenge, and he got it fast. Dumped by the Cleveland Browns just days ago, the Saints running back returned to New Orleans and immediately shoved a 23-22 overtime loss right down his former team’s throat.
“Felt amazing to be back in New Orleans, I’ve said this probably 100 times since I’ve been here,” he told the New Orleans Football Network.
Because Estime already had Kellen Moore’s system down pat, he hit the ground running in New Orleans and put on a show against his former team.
Audric Estime Makes Browns Regret Cutting Him
Estime led the New Orleans backfield with 15 carries for 72 yards (4.8 yards per carry) plus a 5-yard reception. He managed 16 total touches, instantly out-pacing Alvin Kamara (who had 9 touches). His 2-yard touchdown with 58 seconds left in regulation gave New Orleans a brief 16-13 lead before Cleveland tied it up to force overtime.
The Browns’ entire rushing attack struggled massively while watching their former cut victim thrive. Browns running backs Quinshon Judkins and Dylan Sampson combined for just 64 yards on 23 attempts all game.
The Browns cut Estime on Nov. 2. The Saints claimed him off waivers the very next day.
“I called my agent to tell him, like, ‘Get me back to New Orleans.’ And when they gave me the call that they claimed me, I kind of had a sense of relief, happiness, and joy.”
New Orleans already knew what Estime could do after his 2025 campaign. He put up 198 rushing yards, 103 receiving yards, and a score for the Saints last year, even dropping a career-high 94-yard performance against Tennessee. But after landing on the Minnesota practice squad and getting cut by Cleveland just weeks into 2026, Estime found himself right back where it all clicked.
Denver was one of Estime’s first NFL stops ever since the Broncos selected him in the fifth round of the 2024 NFL draft out of Notre Dame.
Head coach Kellen Moore in Awe of Audric Estime
“Once he went to practice on Wednesday, he basically recalled everything (that was positive). I really had no expectation,” Moore said post-game when asked about Estime.
“We didn’t even say he was going to be up for the game when we claimed him. We just brought him in and thought he had a couple of really physical runs in Wednesday’s practice to set the tone. It seemed like he knew every single assignment. He was dialed. It became a no-brainer to me. Let’s roll. Let’s get him ready to go. I thought his juice and physicality was real.”
“He did break the team down about being back home. The business side of this thing is always a challenge to me. When you lose guys like Aud, you’re just sitting there like, ‘Aw man, our whole team loves that guy’. When you have an opportunity to bring him back, it’s a no-brainer. I thought the way he broke that team down, it’s a special locker room for him.”
Neither Moore nor anyone in the building had much expectation of Estime, but he was playing with a massive chip on his shoulder, since he got to prove himself for the very team that cut him.
“It is incredible to be honest,” Moore said of his progress from 2025. “I don’t know how many guys can do that, especially for the amount of plays he played. He is a special person, a special player. I think our whole locker room is fired up that he’s back in there.”
Audric Estime Delivers Cold Revenge on Former Team Browns in Saints Reunion