The New Orleans Saints are running thin at linebacker, and that has pushed Danny Stutsman into the spotlight in a big way for Monday night’s matchup with the Atlanta Falcons.
Kaden Elliss is out because of a calf injury, and Pete Werner didn’t practice all week before being listed as questionable. With both of those pieces in flux, Stutsman is lined up for his first career start and a much bigger workload than he has seen so far.
That kind of opening is exactly what the Saints have been building toward with the 2025 fourth-round pick. Stutsman spent the early part of his rookie season working on special teams before earning defensive snaps late in the year, and his rise now looks less like a surprise than the next stage of a planned progression. He also got the chance to learn in a room that once included Demario Davis.
Stutsman said he feels prepared for the moment. “Since early last year they’ve been trying to get myself acclimated for whatever opportunity may arise, and here we are.
It’s a high-stakes game, but the preparation hasn’t changed," he said to the media. "I think there’s a trust between Coach Staley and my position coach that they got me ready for a moment like this.”
His game fits what defensive coordinator Brandon Staley wants from the position. Stutsman plays with a relentless motor and plenty of physicality, and he already showed last week that he can handle a bigger load when Werner exited and didn’t return. In that game, Stutsman finished with seven tackles and 1.5 stuffs.
Now the assignment gets tougher. The Saints will need him to deal with Bijan Robinson, who comes in as the reigning NFC Offensive Player of the Week after piling up 194 rushing yards and two touchdowns in Green Bay. With a full game of snaps ahead of him and less help around him than usual, Stutsman is being asked to handle a heavy lift right away.
If he comes through on Monday, it would only strengthen the case that he could be the Saints’ answer at linebacker for the long haul. In primetime, #28 is a name worth watching closely.
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It is the kind of game that can tell the Saints a lot about where they are headed and whether some of the old frustrations against Atlanta are starting to fade. The timing adds to the mood, too, with this week marking the 20th anniversary of the Saints' return to the Superdome, a reminder of how often this franchise has used the building as a backdrop for turning points and trying to reset familiar narratives. [Read more 🡒]