On Wednesday, the New Orleans Saints re-signed wide receiver Kevin Austin Jr. and tight end Treyton Welch to their practice squad. This was first reported by Nick Underhill of neworleans.football. Both players were on the initial 53-man active roster after cutdowns, but then released on Monday to create space for other roster additions.
Austin, 26, played collegiately for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish from 2018 to 2021. He's been with the Saints for the last two seasons, catching 24 passes for 291 yards and a touchdown with an average of 12.1 per catch over 16 total games. In 2025, Austin appeared in eight games for New Orleans. He had 13 receptions for 140 yards and a score.
Welch, 25, played for the Wyoming Cowboys from 2019 through 2023. Originally
an undrafted rookie with the Cleveland Browns, Welch was signed late in the 2024 training camp by the Saints and spent that year and most of 2025 on their practice squad. A blocking tight end, Welch saw three games of action for New Orleans last year. He did not record a catch in 16 offensive snaps, playing 21 more on special teams.
Kevin Austin Jr. and Treyton Welch to the practice squad
— Nick Underhill (@nick_underhill) September 2, 2026
Barring other roster movement, Austin is the fourth wideout on the Saints practice squad. He joins Cedric Tillman, Trey Palmer, and Jalen Moreno-Cropper with Chris Olave, Barion Brown, Bryce Lance, and Devaughn Vele on the active roster and Jordyn Tyson on injured reserve. Treyton Welch is the only tight end currently on the Saints practice squad. However, New Orleans has Juwan Johnson, Oscar Delp, and Noah Fant on the active roster at the position.
This article originally appeared on Saints Wire: Saints re-sign Kevin Austin Jr. and Treyton Welch to practice squad
