Devaughn Vele has been a super pleasant surprise this season for the New Orleans Saints.
He spent their first seven games as their No. 2 wide receiver opposite Chris Olave. Vele is a big target who can make contested catches, and that came in handy frequently for Tyler Shough to begin the season.
But in Week 9, coming out of the bye, things are different. Jordyn Tyson is making his season debut.
And the stats for Vele in the first half he has played with Tyson this season aren’t good.
Is Devaughn Vele Playing Today?
Yes, Vele is healthy and active and playing on Sunday for the Saints.
He wasn’t on the injury report or anything like that. There’s no such concern.
The problem is that Vele simply isn’t getting the ball thrown his way in the first half on Sunday.
The Saints were hardly throwing the ball early in the game at all. Shough had only attempted five passes up to the two-minute warning in the first half.
Why Isn’t Devaughn Vele Catching Passes?
Vele simply hasn’t been given an opportunity to make a play yet.
The Saints had delivered completions to three other receivers early on: Chris Olave, Jordyn Tyson and Barion Brown. Juwan Johnson also had a catch in the first half.
Brown’s catch was the most explosive one, a 52-yarder over the top.
Tyson’s was exciting for a moment, the first catch of his NFL career, but then he was stripped by Browns linebacker Carson Schwesinger, and Cleveland recovered the fumble.
It’s unlikely Tyson will get a full snap workload in his season debut after a hamstring injury, so Vele could still make an impact on this game. But it does seem like Vele’s role might be reduced now that Tyson is finally on the field after being the No. 8 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Is Devaughn Vele Playing Today? Why Saints’ WR Has No Catches