Here’s another tough break for Nick Saldiveri. The New Orleans Saints offensive lineman and 2023 fourth-round pick was placed on the reserve/physically unable to perform list (PUP) on Tuesday, ending his 2026 season before it could get started. Saldiveri suffered a knee injury early last summer that ended his 2025 season in training camp, and it must still be bothering him. It was just the latest in a series of injuries for Saldiveri, who had worked his way back from calf and shoulder surgeries earlier in his Saints career. Given that 2026 was the last year of his rookie contract, this likely spells the end for Saldiveri’s time in New Orleans.
Saldiveri almost exclusively played right tackle in college at Old Dominion, but the Saints tried moving him to left guard, and injuries kept him out of the lineup. He was limited to just 15 game appearances (six starts) between 2023 and 2024. It’s just bad luck.
New Orleans was previously granted a roster exemption for Irish kicker Charlie Smyth through the NFL’s International Player Pathway program, which meant they had an open roster spot before signing rookie wide receiver Brock Rechsteiner. So they should still have one vacancy on the 90-man roster after adding Rechsteiner and putting Saldiveri on the season-ending PUP list.
This article originally appeared on Saints Wire: Saints place Nick Saldiveri on PUP list with season-ending injury
