With Week 18 in the books, let’s take a look at who stood out for New Orleans.
The 2024 New Orleans Saints were finally put to rest in Sunday afternoon’s 27-19 defeat to the playoff-bound Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who clinched their fourth consecutive division title.
Almost exactly a year after tearing his ACL, this week’s breakout player took advantage of injuries in the linebacker room and put together the best performance of his young career. The breakout player from the Saints’ Week 18 loss to the Buccaneers is LB Nephi Sewell.
Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
The 26-year-old posted 8 total tackles (5 solo, 2 TFLs), 2 stops, and his first career sack, while his 78.1 overall grade from Pro Football Focus was the second highest among Saints players in the finale.
Sewell was voted by his teammates as the Saints’ 2024 Ed Block Courage Award winner for his resiliency throughout his recovery from a torn anterior cruciate ligament suffered during last season’s New Year’s Eve matchup in Tampa Bay.
He’s an intriguing player and could be worth bringing back next season with Willie Gay on an expiring contract and injuries posing a challenge for the linebacker room behind an aging Demario Davis.
Would you like to see Sewell return for the 2025 campaign?