New Orleans Saints Place Rookie Wide Receiver Bub Means On Non-Football Injury List

The Saints are expected to be without a rookie wide receiver for at least a short time to open training camp, per reports

Wide receiver Bub Means (WO18) during the 2024 NFL Combine / Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

The New Orleans Saints are expected to place rookie wide receiver Bub Means on the Non-Football Injury List, per the news wire on Tuesday. Today was the first day for rookies to report to training camp for the Saints. The first official day of training camp practices is July 24.

Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football, who was the first to report the news, also reports that the issue surrounding Means is not expected to be serious. According to Underhill, Means will likely participate in a conditioning test soon that will likely clear him to practice.

When a player is placed on the NFI list, a team can activate that player after any period of time. It is not usually a serious matter, which seems to be the case in this instance with Means.

Means, 23, was a fifth-round choice by the Saints in this year's draft out of Pitt. He had a strong showing during OTA sessions and mini-camp practices last month, according to John Hendrix of the Saints News Network and several other observers.

Beginning his collegiate career at Tennessee in 2019, Means transfered to Louisiana Tech after just one season. After a 2020 campaign of only one game, Means excelled for the Bulldogs the following season.

Pitt Panthers Bub Means (0) hauls in a pass against coverage from the West Virginia Mountaineers / Michael Longo/For USA Today Network /

In 2021 at Louisiana Tech, Means caught 22 passes for 430 yards and one touchdown. After the season, he'd transfer to the University of Pittsburgh. He'd have 27 receptions for 401 yards and two scores for the Panthers in 2022.

Means caught 41 passes last season, leading the Panthers with 721 receiving yards and six touchdowns in spite of awful quarterback play. Over his last three collegiate seasons, he had 90 receptions for 1,552 yards and 10 touchdowns.

At 6'1" and 212-Lbs., Means has shown himself to be a physical target with good deep speed and outstanding leaping ability. He also has reliable hands and excellent concentration in traffic. Means was among the ACC leaders in contested catches last season.