The connections mostly flow one direction this October.
But between the active rosters, practice squads and reserve lists, five players in the current fold have been both New England Patriots and New Orleans
Saints during their NFL careers.
Here’s a glance through that list of past and present names heading into Sunday’s flexed-out 1 p.m. ET kickoff at Caesars Superdome.
NEW ORLEANS
Brandin Cooks, wide receiver — Cooks was a Saint before and he is a Saint again. The 32-year-old’s NFL run has produced 722 receptions for 9,635 yards, 58 carries for 341 yards, as well as 62 total touchdowns across 163 games. The Oregon State product entered the league in the first round of the 2014 draft and was dealt to the Patriots during the 2017 offseason. The rights to pick No. 32 overall would become Wisconsin offensive tackle Ryan Ramczyk. And the next year, Cooks headed out to the NFC West in a deal involving capital in the first, fourth and sixth rounds. A five-year extension with the Los Angeles Rams followed on the way to Super Bowl LIII. So did more trades featuring Cooks. The former Biletnikoff Award winner has also been a member of the Houston Texans and Dallas Cowboys.
Ja’Lynn Polk, wide receiver — Although on injured reserve for the rest of the season, No. 1 with the Patriots is now No. 89 with the Saints. Polk had been traded to New Orleans in September as a sixth-round pick in 2027 and a seventh-round pick in 2028 changed hands. The 23-year-old wide receiver by way of Texas Tech and Washington appeared in 15 games during his rookie campaign in Foxborough. By it the time had drawn to a close with a shoulder injury that required offseason surgery, he stood with 12 receptions, 87 yards, two touchdowns and seven starts. An injury in the preseason opener led to a second shoulder procedure for the NFL sophomore. New England’s war room moved down in the second round of the 2024 class to take Polk at No. 37 overall.
William Sherman, offensive tackle — Signed to the New Orleans practice squad midway through September, Sherman stands on his third team. The 26-year-old entered the NFL with New England in the sixth round of the 2021 draft at No. 197 overall. He spent his rookie year on the practice squad and made his NFL debut on special teams as a standard elevation that fall. After being retained on a futures contract, Sherman was waived at the 53-man roster deadline in 2022. A spot on the practice squad of the Denver Broncos followed two days later. The tackle out of Colorado remained in the AFC West, through a series of transactions, until the end of the 2025 preseason.
Davon Godchaux, defensive tackle — The Patriots granted Godchaux permission to seek a trade over the offseason. A seventh-round pick in 2026 ultimately would be the return for the 30-year-old nose tackle. Godchaux started 67 of his 68 appearances while at Gillette Stadium after arriving as an unrestricted free agent in 2021. The tenure brought 250 tackles, 2.5 sacks, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery and one batted pass across a total of 2,662 defensive snaps. Contract extensions had been reached in July of 2022 and July of 2024. Originally entering the NFL on the other side of the AFC East, the former LSU Tiger was selected by the Miami Dolphins in the fifth round of the 2017 draft at No. 178 overall.
NEW ENGLAND
Yasir Durant, offensive tackle — Durant reverted to injured reserve in July after being waived by the Patriots with the injury designation. The 27-year-old had returned to the organization on a one-year deal ahead of training camp. He did so after turning in an All-UFL campaign at left tackle for the champion DC Defenders. The product of Arizona Western and Missouri originally entered the NFL as an undrafted rookie with the Kansas City Chiefs in 2020. The following preseason, Durant was acquired via trade and went on to appear in seven games in Foxborough, starting one at right tackle. From 2022 into 2023, Durant made stops with New Orleans and Denver. His 19-game career has spanned 188 snaps on offense and 85 snaps on special teams.
