The New Orleans Saints used Saturday to tidy up the roster before they open the season on the road against Detroit, and the most consequential decision was not a surprise so much as a confirmation.
Running back Audric Estime, already ruled out after missing the week of practice with a thigh injury, was placed on injured reserve. That designation means he will miss at least the first four games of the year.
Tight end Treyton Welch was signed from the practice squad to take the open 53-man spot, while wide receiver Kevin Austin Jr. and rookie running back C.J. Donaldson were given standard elevations for Sunday.
The moves were announced by ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Estime’s stay in New Orleans had been short but useful. Denver drafted him in the fifth round in 2024 out of Notre Dame, then waived him last summer. After a brief stop on Philadelphia’s practice squad, he landed with the Saints and worked his way into the rotation late in 2025.
In seven games, including one start, he carried 46 times for 198 yards and a touchdown and added 12 catches for 103 yards. The thigh injury arrived suddenly this week, and with Alvin Kamara listed as questionable for the opener, the team chose not to keep Estime occupying a roster spot while he heals.
Welch is a familiar face rather than a new one. The 6-foot-4, 240-pound former Wyoming tight end signed with Cleveland as an undrafted free agent in 2024, then spent most of the last two seasons on New Orleans’ practice squad.
He appeared in three games last year without a catch, mostly as a blocker and special-teamer. The Saints have already loaded the position with Juwan Johnson, Noah Fant, and third-round pick Oscar Delp, who is out this week with a hamstring injury. Welch’s promotion is insurance more than a statement about the depth chart.
The two elevations fill more immediate needs. Austin, a Notre Dame product who has spent the past two seasons bouncing between New Orleans’ active roster and practice squad, has 24 catches for 291 yards and a touchdown across 16 games.
He offers size on the perimeter if the Saints want a fourth or fifth receiver against Detroit. Donaldson is the more interesting short-term addition. The undrafted rookie out of West Virginia and Ohio State is a 230-pound short-yardage runner who scored 10 rushing touchdowns last season despite limited carries.
Coach Kellen Moore praised his preparedness and special-teams work during the preseason. With Estime gone and Kamara’s status uncertain, Donaldson gives the Saints another body who can finish runs near the goal line.
None of the moves reshape the offense on their own. They do, however, show how New Orleans is managing a thin week at two skill positions before a difficult opener.
Estime will be eligible to return in mid-October if the thigh heals on schedule. Until then, Welch, Austin, and Donaldson are the names filling the gaps.
