Tyler Owens has been going viral this week.
In many of the video clips, his name isn’t even mentioned.
It’s simply a highlight from the Washington Commanders‘ Week 1 game against the Philadelphia Eagles. Owens is shown lining up on punt coverage for the Commanders, and he runs through all sorts of playres on his way to making a play down the field.
It’s an absolutely potent special teams moment, the kind that it’s hard to imagine many other players can pull off.
10/10
no notes pic.twitter.com/ckB4pWAIuD
— David Pollack (@davidpollack47) September 13, 2026
There’ve been lots of discussions about Owens this week since he made that play on Sunday, but something new popped up that pertains specifically to the New Orleans Saints.
Turns out, they could’ve had him.
Saints Missed Out
Owens was an undrafted player in the 2024 NFL Draft, but the Saints knew about him.
They brought him in on a “30 visit” in the pre-draft process, getting a chance to know him a little better.
Saints beat writer Nick Underhill reports that the Saints thought Owens was the best special teams player in his draft class:
Little possible alternate reality with this one: Saints brought him in for a 30 visit. Was identified as the best special teams player in the draft. Team ended up not picking him and Owens signed with Washington. https://t.co/gJ29bNBHsh
— Nick Underhill (@nick_underhill) September 15, 2026
Evidently, the Saints didn’t put enough stock into that special teams value that they believed Owens had.
The Commanders sure are happy to have him.
Some teams view special teams as one-third of the game. Others view it as a lot less. It’s a difference in priorities there that can often make a difference in key moments.
This isn’t to say the Saints don’t care about it, but it sure would’ve been cool for New Orleans to see Owens doing that for them against the Lions on Sunday.
Who is Tyler Owens?
Owens is a 25-year old safety originally from Plano, Texas.
He began his college career in Austin with the Texas Longhorns, then finished it at Texas Tech.
The 6-foot-2, 216-pound Owens didn’t run a 40-yard dash in the pre-draft process, but he did have a vertical jump of 41 inches and a wingspan of 6-foot-7, so he could definitely compete in a dunk contest.
Owens also went a bit viral once before, when in the lead up to the 2024 NFL Draft he mentioned that he doesn’t believe in outer space or other planets. “God created the heavens and Earth,” Owens said then. “He didn’t create Jupiter and Saturn.”
All that’s clear from watching Owens on special teams is it seems he has some serious God-given ability. Right now, it’s in the nation’s capital instead of the Big Easy.
Saints Missed Chance at Viral NFC East Powerhouse Player