The New Orleans Saints are getting quite thin at the running back position.
That sets them up to make a new RB signing, if they so choose, particularly with Travis Etienne currently on injured reserve.
Conveniently, or so it seems, Devin Neal just was cut by the Minnesota Vikings. He’s an ex-Saints RB. Maybe he’d be a logical addition.
The problem is that the rules don’t actually let the Saints sign Neal right now.
Almost any other player in football would be available to Neal as New Orleans heads toward Week 5 action. Neal would not.
Why Can’t Saints Sign Devin Neal?
The rules don’t allow the Saints to sign Neal right now because of the manner in which they released him.
Neal was waived on an injury settlement at the end of the preseason. Those settlements cover a particular amount of pay for a particular amount of time a player is expected to be out.
And as it turns out, not enough time has passed since Neal’s release to allow him to be signed by the team that originally let him go with that injury settlement — in this case, the Saints.
One Saints reporter explained it like this on X:
Devin Neal has been released today by the #Vikings. The #Saints could use him. He showed a lot of promise. Just got injured at the most inopportune time.
— TJAY Jones (@tjayjones8) October 7, 2026
It sounds like the earliest that Neal could sign with the Saints in this instance would be Week 7.
He would be free to sign with any other team right now, but if New Orleans really has plans to get him, they’d have to somehow hope Neal lingers on the open market for a few weeks.
Devin Neal Career Timeline
Neal was originally a sixth-round pick by the Saints in the 2025 NFL Draft out of Kansas.
A Lawrence, Kansas native, Neal stayed home and starred in college to earn himself an NFL opportunity.
The 5-foot-11, 213-pound running back got to play in 10 games as a rookie, including three starts.
Neal’s 2025 stats included 57 carries, 206 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns, as well as 17 catches for 104 receiving yards.
He hasn’t actually appeared in a regular season game yet in 2026. The Vikings signed Neal after the Saints let him go, but he didn’t get onto a gameday roster for Minnesota.
At the moment, it feels like Neal could be teetering on the edge of sticking around the NFL or not. He’s going to need whatever opportunity he gets next to be one that allows him a chance to make a positive impression about himself.
Whether or not that’s the Saints remains to be seen — but if it’s going to be New Orleans, it’ll be at least a few weeks before that can happen.
Saints Might Want Devin Neal Back, But Rules Don’t Let Them Make Signing