This could be interesting. On Monday, the Cleveland Browns announced they had waived running back Audric Estime, less than a week before he would have had the opportunity to play against his old New Orleans Saints team. Estime led the Saints in rushing during the preseason after a strong finish to the 2025 season, but he was released from injured reserve early in the 2026 campaign. At the time, head coach Kellen Moore handwaved the move as "roster management" with other players coming back from injured reserve.
NFL rules dictate that a player must wait an additional three weeks after the expiration of their injury settlement before re-signing with the team that cut them; assuming the Saints paid Estime for the base four weeks he would have had
to sit out before being activated, so that means he couldn't have returned (if he even wanted to) until after Week 7. Now the Browns have waived him, he should be eligible for a reunion in New Orleans. Estime only appeared in one game with the Browns but scored a critical touchdown in their 13-10 win over the Baltimore Ravens.
Changes have already come for an unproductive Saints rushing attack. The team fired run game coordinator T.J. Paganetti on Monday, who was given a bigger job title than the responsibilities that came with it. Offensive line coach Brendan Nugent has taken point on the run game all season and will continue to do so without Paganetti's input down the stretch. We're waiting to see if Travis Etienne Jr., one of their big free agent pickups, is able to return against Cleveland. Alvin Kamara (back) and CJ Donaldson (shoulder) have both been dealing with injuries while Kendre Miller's ball security issues have continued. Neither Zamir White nor Jarquez Hunter have been called up from the practice squad, so there's room for Estime in the rotation.
This article originally appeared on Saints Wire: Browns cut former Saints RB just days before game with his old team
