The New Orleans Saints are bringing back defensive lineman Jonah Williams, adding a familiar face to their practice squad just six days before a Week 1 trip to face one of his former teams, the Detroit Lions.
Saints coach Kellen Moore confirmed Williams’ return Monday, September 7, while the team’s own coverage also noted that Williams had been signed to the practice squad. It is a relatively small roster move on paper, but New Orleans knows considerably more about Williams than it would about a typical September addition.
Williams, 30, played 15 games with one start for the Saints last season and produced three sacks and five tackles for loss. The Cardinals list those numbers, along with five quarterback hits, as career highs.
That production helps explain why the Saints were willing to circle back after Williams spent the offseason in Arizona.
Jonah Williams Already Has a Track Record With Saints
Williams originally joined New Orleans as a free agent in March 2025. The 6-foot-5, 275-pound defensive lineman did not initially survive final roster cuts, but the Saints brought him back on the practice squad before promoting him to the active roster in September.
He eventually carved out a rotational role.
Williams recorded his first sack of the season against Matthew Stafford and the Los Angeles Rams in November, then finished 2025 with sacks in consecutive games against the New York Jets and Tennessee Titans. His lone start came in the regular-season finale against Atlanta.
There is also schematic familiarity.
When Williams first signed with New Orleans, he discussed his previous familiarity with defensive coordinator Brandon Staley’s defense. That matters for a player arriving after the preseason: Williams is returning to a system and organization he already knows rather than beginning from zero during game week.
The Saints currently have a crowded defensive front that includes Davon Godchaux, Vernon Broughton, Nathan Shepherd, Khristian Boyd, Christen Miller, Colby Wooden and John Ridgeway III on the interior portion of the depth chart. Williams does not have to immediately displace one of them to have value. He gives New Orleans an experienced option it can develop on the practice squad and elevate if needed.
Williams Returns Before Saints-Lions Opener
The timing adds another layer.
New Orleans opens the regular season on Sunday, September 13, at Ford Field against Detroit. Williams briefly played for the Lions in 2024 after Detroit signed him off the Rams’ practice squad.
That does not mean Williams was brought back specifically because the Saints are facing Detroit. But his return gives New Orleans additional experienced defensive-line depth before dealing with an offense that has been among the NFL’s most productive in recent seasons.
The Saints’ official site noted Monday that Detroit scored 481 points in 2025, the second-highest total in franchise history, despite finishing 9-8.
For Williams, the more important development is simply getting back into the building.
He left New Orleans after his best statistical NFL season, signed a one-year deal with Arizona in March and was released during the Cardinals’ roster reduction. Now he is back where he produced those career highs — with a chance to turn another practice-squad stint into an active-roster role.
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