Nine grinning emojis. That was the entirety of Davon Godchaux’s X post on the day the New Orleans Saints agreed to send him to the Jacksonville Jaguars.
ESPN Saints reporter Katherine Terrell reposted the emoji-only message on Monday, Nov. 9. Godchaux left both teams unnamed and gave no explanation. Still, for a veteran who had spent the last three games coming off the bench and was headed to a 6-2 team with an opening at his position, the grins were easy to read as excitement about a fresh start.
The striking part was how different it sounded from the last time Godchaux changed teams. When the Saints acquired him from the New England Patriots in March 2025, the Plaquemine, Louisiana, native and former LSU defensive tackle had plenty to say about coming home.
“Home is where the heart is,” Godchaux wrote at the time, as reported by On3. He called it “a dream come true” to play high school, college and NFL football in the same state.
What Changed for Davon Godchaux Before the Jaguars Trade
Godchaux, 31, appeared in all eight games for the Saints this season. He started the first five and played as a reserve in the next three, finishing his New Orleans stint with 15 tackles and one tackle for loss this year, according to NBC Sports.
Jacksonville has a job for a veteran who can take on blocks in the middle. Starting nose tackle DaVon Hamilton is out for the season with a quad injury, Jaguars Wire reported. Godchaux also knows Jaguars defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile from their overlap in Miami in 2020, when Campanile coached the Dolphins’ linebackers.
The Jaguars had already moved for safety Jessie Bates III earlier Monday. Adding Godchaux addressed a second hole on the same defense. For a player whose role had shrunk in New Orleans, that opening in Jacksonville helps explain why the move might be worth smiling about.
What the Saints Get in the Davon Godchaux Trade
New Orleans gets a conditional 2028 sixth-round pick that can become a 2027 sixth-rounder if Jacksonville acquires one, according to CBS Sports. The Jaguars had already dealt their own 2027 sixth-round pick to the New York Giants in August.
The more immediate return for the Saints is room in the defensive tackle rotation. Khristian Boyd already has two sacks this season, including an eight-yard takedown of Shedeur Sanders in Sunday’s overtime win over Cleveland. Rookie defensive tackle Christen Miller, the No. 42 overall pick, was inactive against the Browns. Godchaux’s departure gives New Orleans a chance to dress Miller and see how the two young tackles fit into the same rotation.
That first look could come Sunday against Carolina. The Saints are 3-5 after beating Cleveland, and the Panthers come in with the same record. The draft pick can wait. New Orleans has snaps to fill in a game for first place in the NFC South.
Saints Veteran Posts Telling Reaction as Jaguars Trade Emerges