Ex-New Orleans Saints Will Make A Big Impact In NFL Playoffs

Several former key contributors to Saints success are in position to be impactful in the chase for a Super Bowl championship.

The NFL playoffs officially begin this afternoon with the first of a three day ''Super'' Wild-Card weekend (insert eye-roll here). On Saturday, the Houston Texans host the Cleveland Browns and Miami Dolphins travel to face the defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs. 

Sunday's games include the Pittsburgh Steelers at the Buffalo Bills, Green Bay Packers at Dallas Cowboys, and Los Angeles Rams at Detroit Lions. Monday concludes the first round when the defending NFC champion Philadelphia Eagles play at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The San Francisco 49ers (NFC) and Baltimore Ravens (AFC) are the top seeds in their respective conferences and have byes into the divisional round. 

The New Orleans Saints will be watching the playoffs from home for the third straight season after finishing with a 9-8 record. If New Orleans fans are looking for someone to root for this postseason, some may favor some former Saints who will be playing in playoff games for other teams. 

Here is a list of former New Orleans players and their current teams appearing this postseason.

AFC

Baltimore Ravens (#1 Seed)

Nov 10, 2019; New Orleans Saints safety Marcus Williams (43) intercepts a pass intended for Atlanta Falcons receiver Calvin Ridley (18). Mandatory Credit: Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports

• Marcus Williams, S

• Arthur Maulet, CB

Just as during his five years with New Orleans, Williams has been a playmaker with excellent range for Baltimore. Williams had 15 interceptions for the Saints between 2017 and 2021 and four picks with the Ravens in 2022. He has only one interception this season, but is a key part of an outstanding Baltimore secondary.

Maulet was mostly a special teams contributor as a rookie for the Saints in 2017. He spent much of his second season on the practice squad of the Saints and Colts. Since then, he's been a solid player for the defensive backfields of the Jets, Steelers, and now Ravens. 

Buffalo Bills (#2 seed)

Oct 3, 2021; New Orleans Saints receiver Deonte Harris (11) returns a kick against New York Giants. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports

• Latavius Murray, RB

• Deonte Harty, WR/KR

• A.J. Klein, LB

The well-traveled Murray is playing for his sixth team in 11 years. He was a terrific complement for Mark Ingram with the Saints in 2019 and 2020 as a complement to Alvin Kamara. Filling a similar role for the Bills, Murray has been an excellent between the tackles option, rushing for four touchdowns and 27 first downs in only 79 carries. 

An undrafted rookie for the Saints in 2019, Deonte Harris became a 1st Team All-Pro kick returner. He'd remain a difference maker in that capacity and as a complementary receiver with New Orleans for four years. In his first season for Buffalo, he's been an electronic punt returner and adds explosive depth to the wideout unit.

Kansas City Chiefs (#3 Seed)

• None

Houston Texans (#4 Seed)

Oct 6, 2019; New Orleans Saints defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins (98) celebrates after a sack of Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Jameis Winston (not pictured). Mandatory Credit: Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports

• Sheldon Rankins, DT 

A first-round pick by the Saints in the 2016 NFL Draft, Rankins is one of the better interior linemen in New Orleans franchise history. Since leaving the Saints in 2021, he's continued to be a steady inside presence for the Jets and now in his first season with Houston. 

Rankins has six sacks and nine tackles for loss for the Texans this season. Both are the second highest totals of his career, surpassed only by his standout 2018 campaign with the Saints. 

Cleveland Browns (#5 Seed)

• None

Miami Dolphins (#6 Seed)

Oct 25, 2021; New Orleans Saints offensive tackle Terron Armstead (72) blocks against the Seattle Seahawks. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY

• Terron Armstead, OT

• Eli Apple, CB

Sean Payton once said that he roots for Eli Apple ''a little bit'' to have success. He can. I won't. Nevertheless, Apple continues to find himself on playoff teams, albeit as a weak link or liability. 

As long as he's on the field, no one has ever been able to call Terron Armstead a weak link. Still one of the best tackles in the NFL, Armstead continues to engulf pass rushers and blow open holes for the running game. His only drawback, as it's always been, is his penchant for injuries. Just as in his nine years with the Saints, Armstead has struggled to stay in the lineup. 

Pittsburgh Steelers (#7 Seed)

Nov 14, 2021; Tennessee Titans running back Adrian Peterson (8) is stopped for a loss by New Orleans Saints linebacker Kwon Alexander (5). Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY

• Montravius Adams, DT

• Kwon Alexander, LB (injured reserve)

After spending his first four years in Green Bay, Adams was a solid part of the Saints interior rotation for the first part of 2021. He was poached off the New Orleans practice squad by Pittsburgh midway through that season. Since then, he's been an outstanding run defender for a strong Steelers defense. 

NFC

San Francisco 49ers (#1 Seed)

• None

Dallas Cowboys (#2 Seed)

• None

Detroit Lions (#3 Seed)

Jan 5, 2020; New Orleans Saints defensive back Chauncey Gardner-Johnson (22) lines up against Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Bisi Johnson (81). Mandatory Credit: Derick Hingle-USA TODAY

• Teddy Bridgewater, QB

• Alex Anzalone, LB

• C.J. Gardner-Johnson, S

Bridgewater's incredible recovery from a catastrophic knee injury with the Vikings in 2016 included a key role as a backup to Drew Brees in 2018 and 2019. In 2019, Bridgewater went 5-0 as a starter for the Saints when Brees was hurt, helping the team to an NFC South title. Now a backup to Jared Goff, Bridgewater announced earlier this season that he will retire at the end of the year.

Anzalone was a third-round pick by New Orleans in their fantastic 2017 draft. He had issues with injuries during his four years with the Saints, but was an important contributor on an outstanding defense when he did play. Over three years in Detroit, Anzalone has put his injury history behind him to be a versatile playmaker and leader for a young Lions defense. 

Gardner-Johnson was a fourth-round draft steal for the Saints in 2018. He's been one of the most versatile defensive backs in the NFL in New Orleans for three years and with the Eagles after a controversial trade last season. After spending most of the year on injured reserve, Gardner-Johnson returned last week in hopes of leading the upstart Lions to a postseason run.

Detroit is led by head coach Dan Campbell, who was an assistant coach on the Saints staff from 2016 to 2020 and a tight end for New Orleans in 2009. The Lions defensive coordinator is Aaron Glenn, who played cornerback for the Saints in 2008 and was a defensive backs coach for New Orleans from 2016 to 2020.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (#4 Seed)

• None

Philadelphia Eagles (#5 Seed)

Aug 20, 2023; New Orleans Saints cornerback Bradley Roby (21) breaks up a pass intended for Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver John Hightower. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY Sports

• Boston Scott, RB

• Bradley Roby, CB

• Justin Evans, S (injured reserve)

A sixth-round choice for the Saints in what was a putrid 2018 draft, Scott was poached off their practice squad by the Eagles as a rookie. Since then, he's provided strong backfield depth for Philadelphia. 

A first-round pick by the Denver Broncos in 2014, Roby came to New Orleans in a 2021 trade after five standout seasons with Denver and two more in Houston. He was a key contributor for a terrific Saints secondary for two years before being picked up in a mid-season signing by Philadelphia this year.

Los Angeles Rams (#6 Seed)

Dec 19, 2021; New Orleans Saints kicker Brett Maher (19) lines up to attempt a field goal against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports

• Brett Maher, K

Maher hopes to stabilize the kicking woes for a Rams team that's otherwise on a roll. He faced the same situation as a late season replacement for an injured Wil Lutz for New Orleans in 2021. Maher was the fourth kicker used by the Saints that season. He was the most successful of the four, but still didn't distinguish himself in a big way.

Green Bay Packers (#7 Seed)

• None

Of the 13 former New Orleans players that will be active for postseason games, only Bradley Roby has been part of a Super Bowl championship. That was in his second season as a number three corner for the Denver Broncos in the 2015 season. Eli Apple (Bengals), Boston Scott (Eagles), and Chauncey Gardner-Johnson (Eagles) were part of conference champions that lost in the Super Bowl.