Saints Countdown to NFL Kickoff 2021: #49 Zach Wood

Saints News Network's Countdown to Kickoff: 49 Days until the New Orleans Saints Week 1 Matchup vs the Green Bay Packers on September 12th, 2021.

The New Orleans Saints are 49 days away from their Week 1 clash with the Pack. Here is a look at one of New Orleans Saints' greatest players to wear #49: LS Zach Wood.

Drew Brees helps Zach Wood make the case that he should NOT be the lowest rated player in @EAMaddenNFL 😂😂😂 #Madden20 pic.twitter.com/HVtdnE6GJ4

— New Orleans Saints (@Saints) August 3, 2019

Zach Wood, 28, enters his fifth NFL season in 2021, all with the New Orleans Saints. A DT in High School, Wood posted 115 tackles and 5 sacks as a Senior earning All-State honorable mention. He would go on to play college football in his home state of Texas at SMU. In his Redshirt Sophomore and Junior seasons, Wood started every game at DE for SMU and was named team captain as a senior. Wood finished his SMU career with 137 tackles, 22 TFL, 9 sacks, 2 FF, and 3 blocked kicks. He also served as the team's long snapper. 

The Dallas Cowboys signed Wood as a UDFA following the 2016 NFL Draft. He was released following training camp and signed a reserve/future deal the following January. In his second Camp stint with the Cowboys, Wood focused primarily on Long Snapping but could not win the job and was released before the season.

After an emergency heart surgery for the Saints newly acquired LS Jon Dorenbos, New Orleans hosted a four LS for a tryout and signed Zach Wood. In 2017, Wood was the Saints LS for both punts and placekicks. The Saints retained him on a one-year contract in 2018 and agreed to a four-year extension in 2019. 

Likely the biggest NFL news of the day: long snapper Zach Wood is expected back to the Saints on a four-year deal that includes a $700K signing bonus.

— Field Yates (@FieldYates) March 16, 2020

Zach Wood is under contract with the New Orleans Saints through the 2024 NFL season.

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Follow Saints News Network’s Writer, Brendan Boylan, on Twitter & Instagram at @btboylan.

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FOLLOW THE COUNTDOWN TO SAINTS KICKOFF:

• 50 Days to Kickoff: Curtis Lofton
• 51 Days to Kickoff: Sam Mills
• 52 Days to Kickoff: Craig Robertson
• 53 Days to Kickoff: Vaughan Johnson
• 54 Days to Kickoff: Kiko Alonso