A year ago, Audric Estime was on the outside looking in, trying to find his next chance after the Denver Broncos cut him. Now he’s made the New Orleans Saints’ 53-man roster, but he’s not about to act like anything has been handed to him.
For Estime, this week’s news was a reward for a camp and preseason that made a real impression. He said the moment meant something because of the work behind it.
“It’s a testament to my preparation and my hard work and not taking anything for granted,” Estime said. “A lot of guys, this might not mean a lot to guys who have been in the league for a lot of years with big contracts, but it meant a lot to me.”
The preseason numbers backed him up. Estime led the Saints with 74 rushing yards on only nine carries, and a big part of that came in the finale against Dallas when he broke loose for a 33-yard run down the left sideline. He also was reliable as a receiver, catching all four of his targets for 16 yards, with a long gain of 13.
None of that surprised the Saints. They had already seen enough to know what he could bring.
New Orleans gave Estime a shot last October after the Philadelphia Eagles released him from their practice squad. Not long after that, injuries thinned out the Saints’ backfield and Estime found himself in the lineup. By the end of the season, he had finished with the best yards-per-carry average among Saints running backs at 4.3, and he posted the top individual performance by any Saints back in 2025 when he ran for a career-high 94 yards and a touchdown on 14 carries against the Titans in Week 17.
That finish seemed to carry straight into this summer. Even with Alvin Kamara healthy, the Saints worked Estime into the first-team offense rotation. His first preseason carry went for a 9-yard touchdown, a quick reminder that he could finish runs with force.
Estime said he wanted to show he can run inside and outside, and that his hands are good enough to be trusted in the passing game. But for him, the biggest thing was proving something less tangible.
“I think I showcased consistency,” Estime said. “That’s one thing I wanted to focus on this offseason, being consistent every carry, every game. I feel like I showed that at a high level this preseason.”
He also said the ankle injury he suffered in the preseason opener against Jacksonville “wasn’t anything too crazy,” which allowed him to return and make one last push against Dallas.
That mattered because of what last year taught him. Estime was cut twice before he finally found a home on an NFL roster, and that experience changed how he views his place in New Orleans.
“I made the 53-man roster, yes, it’s definitely a blessing, but don’t ride that too high,” Estime said. “Because I’ve been on the lower end being released. So try to stay in the middle and keep the main thing the main thing.”
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