Juwan Johnson is dealing with a foot problem, so the Saints add a veteran tight end.

The New Orleans Saints’ top tight end, Juwan Johnson, was reportedly going to have foot surgery during mandatory minicamp. Although Johnson will likely be out for some time, it is anticipated that he won’t miss any games during the regular season. Johnson has time to recover as the squad is currently on vacation before training camp begins in late July.

But it appears like the Saints are preparing in case Johnson is sidelined longer than anticipated. In order to maintain depth in the tight end room, New Orleans just signed veteran tight end Jesper Horsted.

Saints get a tight end Horsted Jesper

After being left undrafted out of Princeton in 2019, Horsted joined the NFL. He played with the Chicago Bears for his first three seasons in the NFL before joining the Las Vegas Raiders for his final two seasons. Derek Carr, the quarterback for the Saints, and he have only played one season together, however their combined action in regular season games was minimal.

Horsted has only appeared in 41 games during his career, which is not very productive. He hauled in eight catches for 87 yards and a touchdown in 2019. He only had two receptions for 21 yards in 2021, but both of them were touchdowns. He caught three catches for 19 yards in 2022 and only one pass for four yards in 2023. He has, nevertheless, proven valuable on special teams, participating in at least 50% of his team’s special teams snaps in three of his four seasons of eligibility.

He’ll most likely be on special teams if he stays in New Orleans and makes the roster. Horsted believes that Juwan Johnson will be ready for the season, Taysom Hill is still contributing, and newcomer Dallin Holker has promise.