On Wednesday, the New Orleans Saints held their first training camp session for the 2026 season. On a day of excitement, things turned quickly on New Orleans.
Defensive tackle Bryan Bresee reportedly suffered a significant knee injury. Ian Rapoport of NFL Network is reporting that it is likely a torn ACL, effectively ending Bresee’s season before it ever even started.
Bresee was a first-round selection by the Saints back in 2023, going #29 overall. He had a decorated college career with the Clemson Tigers, but injuries limited him including a torn ACL towards the end. The current knee injury, notably, is on the opposite knee according to Saints’ head coach Kellen Moore.
Despite the injury concerns, Bresee has been mostly durable throughout his first three NFL seasons. He played in 49 of a possible 51 games in that span.
After 2024 was his most productive with 7.5 sacks, Bresee contributed 2.5 sacks but a career high 37 tackles in 2025. He helped to anchor the interior defensive line in Brandon Staley’s new system. He was expected to have a pivotal role in this year’s Saints’ defense.
New Orleans did use a second-round pick in this year’s draft to select Christen Miller out of Georgia. They also signed highly touted undrafted free agent Xzavian Harris from Ole Miss. Those are just two of the players that may get an opportunity to fill the void left by Bresee’s injuries.
New Orleans will continue training camp practices leading into their first preseason game. That contest will be against the Jacksonville Jaguars on Saturday, August 15th at 3:00 PM inside the Caesars Superdome.