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Jeff Heath (American football)

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Jeff Heath
refer to caption
Heath with the Cowboys in 2019
No. 38
Position:Safety
Personal information
Born: (1991-05-14) May 14, 1991 (age 33)
Lake Orion, Michigan, U.S.
Height:6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Weight:212 lb (96 kg)
Career information
High school:Lake Orion
(Lake Orion, Michigan)
College:Saginaw Valley State (2009–2012)
Undrafted:2013
Career history
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics
Total tackles:395
Forced fumbles:5
Fumble recoveries:1
Pass deflections:28
Interceptions:11
Defensive touchdowns:1
Stats at Pro Football Reference

Jeff Heath (born May 14, 1991) is a former American football safety. He played college football at Saginaw Valley State University. Heath signed with the Dallas Cowboys as an undrafted free agent in 2013. He also played for the Las Vegas Raiders and New Orleans Saints.

Early years

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Heath attended Lake Orion High School where he practiced football and soccer. He was selected as the Big Play Player of the Year for kicking a game-winning 49 yard field goal to give Lake Orion a playoff victory and regional title over Sterling Heights Stevenson. The team advanced to the Michigan Division 1 state championship game in 2008 before falling to Rockford High School.

As a senior, he started as a defensive back, wide out, kicker and punter, voted team captain and received All-North conference honors.[1]

College career

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Heath accepted a football scholarship from Saginaw Valley State University, an NCAA Division II program and a member of the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. He was not heavily recruited out of high school, and was only offered a partial scholarship with SVSU.[2] As a freshman, he appeared in 5 games (one start), tallying 13 tackles (4 solo), one interception, one tackle for a loss, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery and one pass defensed.

As a sophomore, he appeared in 8 games (7 starts), tallying 49 tackles (3.5 for loss), one interception and 2 fumble recoveries. As a junior, he started all 11 games, registering 81 tackles (9 for loss), one sack, 3 passes defended, one interception, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery.

As a senior, he started all games, recording 77 tackles (3 for loss), 5 interceptions, 7 passes defended, one forced fumble and 2 fumble recoveries. He finished his college career after starting 30-of-35 games, posting 219 tackles (16.5 for loss), 7 interceptions, 4 forced fumbles and 4 fumble recoveries.

Heath majored in criminal science at Saginaw Valley State.

Professional career

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Pre-draft

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Heath didn't receive an invitation to perform at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis. On March 11, 2013, Heath participated at the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference's pro day. Team representatives and scouts from a few teams attended Heath's pro day, including the Dallas Cowboys.[3] At the conclusion of the pre-draft process, Heath was projected to be a seventh round pick or priority undrafted free agent by NFL draft experts. He was ranked as the 27th best strong safety prospect in the draft by DraftScout.com.

Pre-draft measurables
Height Weight Arm length Hand span 40-yard dash 10-yard split 20-yard split 20-yard shuttle Three-cone drill Vertical jump Broad jump Bench press
6 ft 1+1⁄8 in
(1.86 m) 		209 lb
(95 kg) 		30+3⁄8 in
(0.77 m) 		8+7⁄8 in
(0.23 m)		 4.48 s 1.59 s 2.70 s 4.36 s 6.88 s 37.0 in
(0.94 m)		 10 ft 6 in
(3.20 m)		 22 reps
All values from GLIAC's Pro Day[4][5]

Dallas Cowboys

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2013 season

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On April 27, 2013, the Cowboys signed Heath to a three-year, $1.48 million contract with a signing bonus of $2,000 after he went undrafted in the 2013 NFL draft. The Cowboys were the first team to call Heath and extend a contract offer.[6]

External videos
video icon Jeff Heath forces fumble by Cobi Hamilton

Throughout training camp, Heath competed for a roster spot as a backup safety and special teams player against Brandon Underwood, Matt Johnson, Micah Pellerin, Jakar Hamilton, and Eric Frampton.[7] He impressed coaches with his preseason performance and made a total of 16 combined tackles (11 solo) and a forced fumble in five preseason games.[8] Heath made the active roster as the fifth safety on the Cowboys' depth chart and special teams player after Johnson was placed on injured reserve due to a foot injury.[9] Head coach Jason Garrett named Heath a backup free safety to start the regular season, behind Barry Church and Danny McCray.[10][11]

He made his professional regular season debut in the Cowboys' season-opener against the New York Giants and assisted on one tackle during their 36–31 victory. On October 27, 2013, Heath earned his first career start after J. J. Wilcox was inactive and missed three games (8-10) due to a knee injury.[12] Heath finished the Cowboys' 31–30 loss at the Detroit Lions with a season-high nine combined tackles and a forced fumble, but was also part of a highlight reel reception, when he lost a jump ball to Calvin Johnson.[13] The next two games proved to be difficult, with Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson running over him for a touchdown and being beaten for 3 touchdowns while playing against the New Orleans Saints.

In Week 12, although Wilcox returned from injury, Heath remained the starter, making six combined tackles and returned a fumble recovery for his first career touchdown in the Cowboys' 24–21 win at the Giants. Heath recovered a fumble by wide receiver Victor Cruz and returned it for a 50-yard touchdown after it was stripped by teammate Orlando Scandrick during the second quarter.[14] On December 22, 2013, he recorded five combined tackles, deflected a pass, and made his first career interception during a 24–23 victory at the Washington Redskins in Week 16. Heath made his first career interception off a pass by Redskins' quarterback Kirk Cousins, that was originally intended for wide receiver Santana Moss, in the second quarter.[15]

He finished his rookie season in 2013 with 60 combined tackles (47 solo), three pass deflections, an interception, a fumble recovery, a touchdown and 13 special teams tackles (led the team) in 16 games with nine starts. Heath also led the Cowboys with 13 combined tackles on special teams.[16] Heath's rookie season was largely seen as a disappointment due to issues he had in pass coverage. He was repeatedly targeted and gave up multiple receptions during the 2013 season.[17]

2014 season

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Heath in 2017

On January 28, 2014, the Cowboys promoted defensive line coach Rod Marinelli to defensive coordinator after they opted to transition former defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin to assistant head coach/defense. They chose to make the change after the Cowboys finished last in the league in defense and allowed the most yards in franchise history.[18] Heath competed against J.J. Wilcox, Matt Johnson, and Jakar Hamilton for the job as the starting free safety during training camp.[19] Garrett named Heath the backup strong safety, behind J.J. Wilcox, to start the regular season.[20]

In Week 7, Heath collected a season-high five combined tackles in the Cowboys' 31–21 win against the Giants. On November 23, 2014, Heath made three solo tackles before fracturing his thumb during a 31–21 victory at the New York Giants.[21] He was sidelined for the next two games (Weeks 13–14) due to his thumb injury.[22] Heath finished the 2014 season with 16 combined tackles (10 solo) and 8 special teams tackles (fourth on the team) in 14 games with zero starts.[16]

The Cowboys finished first in the National Football Conference (NFC) East with a 12–4 record, earning a playoff berth. On January 4, 2015, Heath appeared in his first career playoff game and made two solo tackles during a 24–20 victory against the Lions in NFC Wildcard Game. The following week, he recorded seven solo tackles and deflected a pass attempt during a two-point conversion after replacing Barry Church in the second half of the Cowboys' 26–21 loss at the Green Bay Packers in the NFC Divisional Round.

2015 season

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Garrett named Heath the backup free safety to start the regular season in 2015, behind starter J. J. Wilcox.[23] On November 1, 2015, Heath was involved in a violent collision with Seahawks' wide receiver Ricardo Lockette during the second quarter of a 13–12 loss to the Seattle Seahawks in Week 8. The incident happened while Heath was on punt coverage and Lockette a gunner and running downfield as Heath delivered a block to Lockette who was unaware of the impending blow. Lockette was immediately rendered unconscious and was carted off the field and transported to the hospital.[24] Heath received a 15-yard penalty for unnecessary roughness and Lockette was diagnosed with a severe concussion and underwent surgery to stabilize ligaments in his neck.[25][26] The collision and injury effectively ended Lockette's career and forced him into retirement. In Week 9, he collected a season-high six combined tackles during a 33–27 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles.

On November 15, 2015, Heath recorded two solo tackles, two pass deflections, and two interceptions in the Cowboys' 10–6 loss at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 10. Heath made his first interception of his career off a pass by quarterback Jameis Winston, that was originally intended for tight end Brandon Myers, in the second quarter.[27] He finished the 2015 season with 25 combined tackles (20 solo), two pass deflections, two interceptions, and a forced fumble in 16 games and one start.[16] He primarily played on special teams during the season and tied teammates Kyle Wilber and Damien Wilson with nine special teams tackles.

2016 season

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During training camp, Heath competed to be a backup safety against J. J. Wilcox and Kavon Frazier. Garrett named Heath the backup safety behind Byron Jones to start the regular season in 2016.[28][29] In Week 15, he recorded one tackle, deflected a pass, and made an interception during a 26–20 victory against Buccaneers in Week 15. On January 1, 2017, Heath collected a season-high four combined tackles in the Cowboys' 27–13 loss at the Eagles.

He finished the 2016 season with 20 combined tackles (14 solo), two pass deflections, an interception and 7 special teams tackles (third on the team) in 16 games with no starts.[16] He tied for the team lead in special teams tackles with seven, along with Byron Jones and Kyle Wilber.[30] Pro Football Focus gave Heath an overall grade of 76.4.[31]

The Cowboys finished first in the NFC East with a 13–3 record and earned a first round bye. On January 15, 2017, he had one of his best games in the 34–31 loss against the Packers in the NFC Divisional Round, recording three solo tackles, one deflected pass, one interception (a second one was called back because of a penalty), his first career sack, one quarterback hurry and one special teams tackle.[32]

2017 season

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Heath (left) playing against the Washington Redskins in 2017.

Throughout training camp, Heath competed against Robert Blanton to be the starting strong safety.[33] The role was left vacant after Barry Church and J. J. Wilcox departed during free agency. Garrett named Heath the starter, alongside free safety Byron Jones.[34]

In Week 7, Heath filled in as the emergency kicker, following an injury to kicker Dan Bailey. He was tasked with kickoffs and extra points and converted two of three extra point attempts during the Cowboys' 40–10 victory at the San Francisco 49ers. This made him the first non-kicker or punter to make multiple extra points in game since Houston Oilers linebacker Ted Thompson went 4 out of 4 in 1980.[35] [36][37]

In a Week 9 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs, Heath intercepted quarterback Alex Smith for the first interception of Smith’s season.

Heath was inactive for the Cowboys' Week 11 loss to the Eagles due to a concussion.[38] On November 30, 2017, Heath recorded four solo tackles, broke up a pass, and made an interception in a 38–14 win against the Redskins in Week 13.

The following week, Heath collected a career-high ten combined tackles (eight solo), deflected a pass, and intercepted a pass by quarterback Eli Manning during a 30–10 win at the Giants in Week 14.[39]

Heath finished the 2017 season with 15 starts, 81 tackles (fourth on the team), five pass deflections, a career-high three interceptions, two forced fumbles and 8 special teams tackles (fifth on the team).[16] Pro Football Focus gave him an overall grade of 80.8, which ranked 35th among all qualifying safeties in 2017.[40]

2018 season

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Heath started all 16 contests for the first time in his career,[41] registering a career-best 84 tackles (third-best on a top-10 defense), four tackles for losses (tied for third on the team), 6 pass breakups, one interception, one quarterback pressure and 9 special teams tackles (third on the team).[42]

He made 9 tackles and one pass defensed in a 19-16 overtime loss to the Houston Texans in Week 5. He followed that big performance in the next game against the Jacksonville Jaguars with an interception returned 47 yards off of quarterback Blake Bortles. He had a team-best 9 tackles in the Divisional Playoff Game against the Los Angeles Rams.

2019 season

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Heath started 13 games, missing 3 with a shoulder injury that required offseason surgery. He posted 63 tackles (sixth on the team), 3 quarterback hurries, 9 passes defensed and did not have an interception for the second time in his career.

He had 9 tackles and 2 passes defensed in the season opener against the Giants. He made 7 tackles and 2 passes defensed in the season finale against the Redskins.

Las Vegas Raiders

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On March 27, 2020, Heath signed a two-year, $8 million contract with the Las Vegas Raiders, reuniting with assistant coach Rod Marinelli, who was his defensive coordinator with the Cowboys.[43] He was a backup safety behind Erik Harris and Johnathan Abram.

In Week 5 against the Chiefs, Heath recorded his first interception as a Raider off a pass thrown by Patrick Mahomes during the 40–32 win.[44] In Week 10 against the Denver Broncos, Heath intercepted two passes thrown by Drew Lock during the 37–12 win, earning him the AFC Defensive Player of the Week award for his performance.[45][46]

He was placed on injured reserve on December 12, 2020.[47] While on injured reserve, Raiders defensive backs coach Jim O’Neil and assistant Taver Johnson were ruled out of a game against the Miami Dolphins due to COVID-19 protocols, and Heath was pressed into service as a defensive backs coach along with general manager Mike Mayock.[48] Heath was activated from injured reserve on January 2, 2021.[49] He finished with 34 tackles, 3 interceptions (led the team), 4 passes defensed and 3 special teams tackles in 13 games with 5 starts.

On May 5, 2021, he was released after the Raiders selected three safeties in the 2021 NFL draft.[50]

New Orleans Saints

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Heath with the Saints in 2021

On August 21, 2021, he signed as a free agent with the Saints.[51] He was released on September 10, 2021, but re-signed to the practice squad the next day and was later signed to the active roster.[52]

Heath appeared in 16 games, focusing mostly on special teams and only played on defense in four of them. He had 5 defensive tackles, one sack and 7 special teams tackles. He wasn't re-signed after the season.

NFL statistics

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Legend
Led the league
Bold Career high
Regular season statistics
Year Team Games Tackles Interceptions Fumbles
GP GS Comb Solo Ast Sack PD INT Yds Avg Lng TD FF FR Yds TD
2013 DAL 16 9 60 47 13 0.0 3 1 0 0.0 0 0 1 1 50 1
2014 DAL 14 0 27 26 1 0.0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0 0
2015 DAL 16 1 18 15 3 0.0 2 2 19 9.5 19 0 1 0 0 0
2016 DAL 16 0 17 13 4 0.0 2 1 19 19.0 19 0 0 0 0 0
2017 DAL 15 15 63 55 8 0.0 5 3 20 6.7 14 0 2 0 0 0
2018 DAL 16 16 85 63 22 0.0 5 1 49 49.0 49 0 1 0 0 0
2019 DAL 13 13 63 41 22 0.0 7 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0 0
2020 LV 13 5 37 28 9 0.0 4 3 89 29.7 47 0 0 0 0 0
Total 119 59 383 295 88 0.0 28 11 196 17.8 49 0 5 1 50 1
Postseason statistics
Year Team Games Tackles Interceptions Fumbles
GP GS Comb Solo Ast Sack PD INT Yds Avg Lng TD FF FR Yds TD
2014 DAL 2 0 9 9 0 0.0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0 0
2016 DAL 1 0 3 3 0 1.0 1 1 27 27.0 27 0 0 0 0 0
2018 DAL 2 2 12 7 5 0.0 1 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Total 5 2 24 19 5 1.0 2 1 27 27.0 27 0 0 0 0 0

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Cowboys Safety Jeff Heath". Archived from the original on December 15, 2019. Retrieved August 13, 2017.
  2. ^ "Lake Orion family, friends celebrate SVSU grad's first NFL start in homecoming against Detroit Lions". October 27, 2013. Retrieved February 21, 2016.
  3. ^ "Gosselin: Safety Jeff Heath may be Dallas Cowboys' next overlooked college gem". sportsday.dallasnews.com. August 26, 2013. Retrieved July 30, 2018.
  4. ^ "2013 Draft Scout Jeff Heath, Saginaw Valley State NFL Draft Scout College Football Profile". draftscout.com. Retrieved January 13, 2023.
  5. ^ "Jeff Heath 2013 NFL Draft Profile". insider.espn.com. Retrieved January 13, 2023.
  6. ^ "SVSU defensive back Jeff Heath signs as undrafted free agent with Dallas Cowboys". mlive.com. Retrieved April 27, 2013.
  7. ^ "Ourlads.com: Dallas Cowboys Depth Chart: 07/01/2013". Ourlads.com. Retrieved July 30, 2018.
  8. ^ "SVSU alum Jeff Heath making case for roster spot with Dallas Cowboys". mlive.com. August 25, 2013. Retrieved July 30, 2018.
  9. ^ "Jeff Heath Capitalizes on Matt Johnson injury". thelandryhat.com. September 1, 2013. Retrieved July 30, 2018.
  10. ^ "SVSU alum Jeff Heath makes Dallas Cowboys' 53-man roster Saturday". Retrieved February 21, 2016.
  11. ^ "Ourlads.com: Dallas Cowboys Depth Chart: 09/05/2013". Ourlads.com. Retrieved July 30, 2018.
  12. ^ Watkins, Calvin (November 24, 2013). "J.J. Wilcox suffers head injury". ESPN.com. Retrieved July 30, 2018.
  13. ^ "DeMarco Murray may play vs. Lions". October 25, 2013. Retrieved February 21, 2016.
  14. ^ "NFL Game Center: Week 12-2013: Dallas Cowboys @ New York Giants". NFL.com. Retrieved July 30, 2018.
  15. ^ "NFL Game Center: Week 16-2013: Dallas Cowboys @ Washington Redskins". NFL.com. Retrieved July 30, 2018.
  16. ^ a b c d e "NFL Player stats: Jeff Heath (career)". NFL.com. Retrieved July 30, 2018.
  17. ^ Moachota, John (June 17, 2014). "Jeff Heath: 2013 better than some think; safety is 'way more comfortable' now". sportsday.dallasnews.com. Retrieved July 30, 2018.
  18. ^ Archer, Todd (January 29, 2014). "Cowboys shuffle coaching staff". ESPN.com. Retrieved July 30, 2018.
  19. ^ Welp, Nicholas (June 25, 2014). "J.J. Wilcox In Lead At Free Safety, Barry Church Only Sure Thing". cowboysnation.com. Archived from the original on July 30, 2018. Retrieved July 30, 2018.
  20. ^ "2014 Dallas Cowboys Official Depth Chart For Week 1 vs. San Francisco 49ers". bloggingtheboys.com. September 5, 2014. Retrieved July 30, 2018.
  21. ^ "NFL Player stats: Jeff Heath (2014)". NFL.com. Retrieved July 30, 2018.
  22. ^ "FoxSports.com: Jeff Heath Injury History". FoxSports.com. Retrieved July 30, 2018.
  23. ^ "2015 Dallas Cowboys Official Depth Chart For Week 1 vs. New York Giants". bloggingtheboys.com. September 8, 2015. Retrieved July 30, 2018.
  24. ^ "ESPN owes Cowboys' Jeff Heath an apology for 'branding this kid as a dirty player'". Retrieved February 21, 2016.
  25. ^ "Seahawks' Lockette undergoes neck surgery after big hit". foxsports.com. Retrieved July 30, 2018.
  26. ^ "Jeff Heath "hated" Ricardo Lockette was injured on his special teams block". Retrieved February 21, 2016.
  27. ^ "NFL Game Center: Week 10-2015: Dallas Cowboys @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers". NFL.com. Retrieved July 30, 2018.
  28. ^ "Dallas Cowboys Release Depth Chart For Week 1 vs. New York Giants". bloggingtheboys.com. September 9, 2016. Retrieved July 30, 2018.
  29. ^ "Ryan Russell Results". August 7, 2017. Retrieved May 10, 2018.
  30. ^ "NFL Player Stats - Special Teams Total Tackles". Retrieved May 10, 2018.
  31. ^ "Grading the 2016 Dallas Cowboys: Secondary". cover32.com. Archived from the original on July 30, 2018. Retrieved July 30, 2018.
  32. ^ "For Jeff Heath, return to Canton a reminder of how he made Cowboys' roster". August 2017. Retrieved May 10, 2018.
  33. ^ "Could Robert Blanton land starting safety role for the Cowboys?". 247sports.com. June 27, 2017. Retrieved July 30, 2018.
  34. ^ Helman, David (September 2, 2017). "Closer Look: Position By Position Breakdown Of Cowboys' 53-Man Roster". DallasCowboys.com. Retrieved July 30, 2018.
  35. ^ "Safety Jeff Heath served as emergency kicker for Cowboys". NFL.com. Retrieved May 10, 2018.
  36. ^ "Box Score Dallas Cowboys - San Francisco 49ers". Retrieved May 10, 2018.
  37. ^ "Is Jeff Heath finally poised for Cowboys stardom?". June 22, 2017. Retrieved May 10, 2018.
  38. ^ "Cowboys' Jeff Heath: Inactive Sunday night". cbssports.com. November 20, 2017. Retrieved July 30, 2018.
  39. ^ "NFL Player stats: Jeff Heath (2017)". NFL.com. Retrieved July 30, 2018.
  40. ^ "Pro Football Focus: Jeff Heath". profootballfocus.com. Retrieved July 30, 2018.
  41. ^ "Jeff Heath Career Game Log". Pro-Football-Reference.com.
  42. ^ "2018 Dallas Cowboys Statistics & Players". Pro-Football-Reference.com.
  43. ^ Alper, Josh (March 17, 2020). "Raiders, Jeff Heath agree to terms". Pro Football Talk. NBC Sports.
  44. ^ "Las Vegas Raiders at Kansas City Chiefs - October 11th, 2020". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved October 11, 2020.
  45. ^ "Denver Broncos at Las Vegas Raiders - November 15th, 2020". Pro-Football-Reference.com. November 15, 2020. Retrieved November 17, 2020.
  46. ^ Gordon, Grant (November 18, 2020). "Cardinals WR DeAndre Hopkins, Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger among Players of the Week". NFL.com.
  47. ^ Damien, Levi (December 12, 2020). "Raiders send FS Jeff Heath to injured reserve, sign DL Chris Smith from the practice squad". USAToday.com. Retrieved January 27, 2021.
  48. ^ "COVID-19, injuries left Raiders vulnerable against Dolphins". Las Vegas Review-Journal. December 27, 2020. Retrieved December 28, 2020.
  49. ^ McDonald, Jerry [@Jerrymcd] (January 2, 2021). "Transactions, via Raiders website: Activated S Jeff Heath from the Reserve/Injured - Designated For Return list; Activated LB James Onwualu and OL Erik Magnuson from the practice squad" (Tweet). Retrieved February 15, 2021 – via Twitter.
  50. ^ @Raiders (May 5, 2021). "We have released S Jeff Heath" (Tweet). Retrieved May 5, 2021 – via Twitter.
  51. ^ "New Orleans Saints announce roster moves". NewOrleansSaints.com. August 21, 2021.
  52. ^ "New Orleans Saints announce roster moves". NewOrleansSaints.com. September 11, 2021.
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