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The New Orleans Saints are reversing an offseason decision just days before they have to finalize their 53-man roster.
New Orleans announced Wednesday that it has re-signed veteran cornerback Michael Davis, who departed after spending part of the 2025 season with the Saints, while also adding former Los Angeles Rams third-round pick David Long Jr. The Saints worked out both defensive backs one day earlier as they reshuffle their depth entering the final days of the preseason.
The timing is notable. The Saints placed cornerback Rejzohn Wright on injured reserve two days earlier while signing kicker Daniel Carlson, leaving another opening in a secondary that is now getting an infusion of veteran experience.
Davis already knows New Orleans. Long gives the Saints a different kind of option: a former third-round pick who started in a Super Bowl victory with the Los Angeles Rams.
Michael Davis Returns After Saints Special Teams Role
Davis, 31, appeared in 11 games for New Orleans in 2025 after spending the bulk of his career with the Los Angeles Chargers.
His role with the Saints was primarily on special teams. The team credited Davis with four coverage tackles last season, and he also received limited defensive work before finishing the year on injured reserve following a shoulder injury.
That familiarity could be important this late in August.
Davis has appeared in 133 regular-season games with 76 starts over his career, according to the Saints. He has totaled 337 tackles, eight interceptions and 70 pass breakups while playing for the Chargers, Washington Commanders and Saints.
He is not walking into New Orleans as an unknown player trying to learn everything from scratch. The Saints already have a recent sample of how Davis fits on special teams and as veteran cornerback depth.
That could give him a legitimate chance to stick around beyond the preseason, although New Orleans has made no announcement about either player’s roster status past the signing.
David Long Jr. Brings Super Bowl Experience to Saints
Long arrives with less familiarity in New Orleans but a notable postseason résumé.
The Rams selected him No. 79 overall out of Michigan in the 2019 NFL draft. Long later played six postseason games for Los Angeles, including the franchise’s run to a Super Bowl LVI championship following the 2021 season.
He wasn’t merely on that Rams roster.
Long started Super Bowl LVI, recording four tackles as Los Angeles defeated the Cincinnati Bengals 23-20. He had also returned an interception for a touchdown against the Arizona Cardinals earlier that postseason.
Since leaving Los Angeles, Long has bounced through several organizations, including the Las Vegas Raiders, Green Bay Packers, Indianapolis Colts and Carolina Panthers.
He appeared in just one game for Carolina in 2025, so this signing does not guarantee him a significant defensive role with the Saints. It does, however, give New Orleans another cornerback with starting and playoff experience during the final evaluation period.
Saints Have Only Days to Make a Decision
Neither Davis nor Long has much runway to make his case.
NFL teams must reduce their rosters to 53 players by 6 p.m. ET on Sunday, August 30. The league moved the final cutdown to Sunday for the 2026 season.
That makes the Saints’ move particularly interesting.
New Orleans is not signing Davis and Long at the beginning of training camp with weeks to evaluate them. The Saints are adding two veteran defensive backs with the deadline approaching and Wright already headed to injured reserve.
Davis’ special-teams history could help his case because reserve defensive backs often need to contribute in the kicking game to justify a game-day roster spot. Long offers more recent evidence of high-level postseason defensive experience, even if his opportunities have diminished in recent seasons.
The Saints also have one preseason game remaining, a road matchup with the Dallas Cowboys on August 28, before Moore and general manager Mickey Loomis have to make their final decisions.
For Davis, the next few days represent an opportunity to turn a reunion into another season in New Orleans.
For Long, they could determine whether the former Rams draft pick gets another NFL stop — or whether both signings were simply the Saints making sure they have enough veteran options before one of the busiest roster weekends of the year.
New Orleans Saints Bring Back Familiar Face in Late Roster Shakeup