Pete Werner had some great moments to start the 2026 season, but he hasn't been able to keep that momentum going in Year 2 of Brandon Staley's defense. And with the NFL trade coming up fast on Nov. 10, speculation is swirling on his future with the team. One possible landing spot for the New Orleans Saints linebacker? None other than the Cincinnati Bengals. He had a good run in college with the Ohio State Buckeyes, so you can bet fans up that way would be excited to welcome him back.
"A 27-year-old linebacker right in his prime, Werner would help improve the Bengals' defense up the middle. He's good on blitzes and against the run. Last season, he had a 70% run stop rate -- meaning that 70% of his run tackles stopped the runner short of a successful
play," wrote ESPN's Aaron Schatz.
Werner is one of several good-but-not-great veterans the Saints have held onto over the years, repeatedly restructuring his contract to kick that can down the road. Trading him would only save $607,500 against the salary cap in 2026, nearly doubling those savings to a still-insignificant number in 2027 (about $1.14 million). It would get the Saints out of paying his $6.5 million base salary next season, but they still only break even by moving him.
So what could the Bengals offer New Orleans to pull off a trade? Swapping a fourth-round pick for Werner straight up could get it done. That's better than the fifth rounder the Dallas Cowboys gave up for linebacker Dee Winters earlier this year; Winters, one year Werner's junior, has appeared in the same number of games the last four years (53) but has tallied 1,011 fewer snaps with lower numbers in tackles, turnovers, and other impact plays. Werner has missed more tackles (30 to 22) and give up more passes in coverage, but he's also seen a full season's worth of snaps more than Winters. The Bengals are expected to double-dip in Round 3 thanks to a compensatory pick coming back for Trey Hendrickson, so they could afford to take a swing on Werner here.
With Kaden Elliss back from a calf injury and young role players eager for more reps like Danny Stutsman, Isaiah Stalbird, and Jaylan Ford, the Saints should consider going in a different direction at linebacker. They might also look to the 2027 NFL Draft for an upgrade. Georgia Bulldogs star Chris Cole fell to us in our most recent mock draft, so finding out what they've got at linebacker should be a priority.
This article originally appeared on Saints Wire: ESPN has a landing spot in mind for Saints linebacker Pete Werner
