If there’s one name in the Saints’ special teams operation that rarely forces anyone to hold their breath, it’s Zach Wood.
That’s kind of the point. In a season full of moving parts around him, Wood remains the constant - the long snapper who has made a career out of doing his job cleanly, quietly and without much fuss.
This year marks his 10th season in New Orleans, putting him in rare company on the roster. He’s been a Saint nearly as long as Alvin Kamara, and only Cam Jordan has been around longer.
And yet, for all that longevity, Wood is still the sort of player most fans wouldn’t pick out in a crowd. Long snappers live in the shadows unless something goes wrong, and Wood understands that better than most.
“Every time I hear about long snappers, that gets said,” Wood said. “And that’s the truest thing ever.
It would be nice to have a pat on the butt every now and then for having a great game. But if I’m never getting bothered at all, that’s fine.”
That low-drama existence is exactly what the Saints have leaned on through a stretch of churn on special teams. The days when Wood lined up with punter Thomas Morstead and kicker Wil Lutz are long gone.
New Orleans will have its third kicker in three seasons this year, with Daniel Carlson taking over after Charlie Smyth, who replaced Blake Grupe last season. The punter spot has changed even more often, with the Saints now on their fifth since Morstead left after the 2020 season.
Wood said he’s adjusted to the constant turnover.
“I’ve gotten used to it,” Wood said. “Luckily the Saints do a good job of bringing good people in here. They aren’t bringing in guys who are hard to work with.”
Still, he knows what those competitions feel like from the other side. Carlson won a three-man battle after the Saints signed him last week, with Smyth landing on the practice squad and Tanner Brown getting waived.
“It’s really tough,” Wood said. “I’ve been in that position before.
It’s really hard when its something you dedicate so much time to. These guys want this so bad.
It’s something they’ve dreamed of their entire lives. But just because it doesn’t happen here doesn’t mean it won’t happen.
Rejection is hard. Getting told no is hard.
I feel for those guys and I never take it for granted.”
That perspective comes from lived experience. The Saints’ search for a long snapper in 2017 was born out of necessity when Jon Dorenbos was diagnosed with an aortic aneurysm just before the season.
Sean Payton brought in five players for a Friday tryout, only three days before the opener against the Minnesota Vikings. Wood won the job and never gave it back.
Since then, he’s been the steady hand for every kicker and punter who has cycled through New Orleans. Special teams coordinator Phil Galiano says that kind of reliability matters.
“For sure,” Galiano said.
He then knocked on the wooden podium, clearly not eager to jinx the setup.
“The one thing about Zach is you can look at him and he keeps himself in unbelievable shape,” Galiano said. “He takes great pride in that and keeping his body healthy. As long as he continues to do that, he can play a while.”
Wood is listed at 6-foot-3 and 255 pounds, a far cry from the 283 pounds he carried when he played defensive end at SMU. He’s 33 now, which would be old for plenty of positions. For a long snapper, it barely counts.
San Francisco 49ers long snapper Jon Weeks is 40 and still at it, and Wood knows the standard.
“Jon has been slinging them for a long time,” Wood said. “He’s an animal.”
As for whether he can still be doing this at 40, Wood didn’t hesitate.
“I would love to play as long as these guys want to keep me here,” he said.
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