Countdown to Kickoff: Anfernee Jennings is the Saints Player of Day 54

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Countdown to Kickoff: Anfernee Jennings is the Saints Player of Day 54

Countdown to Kickoff: Anfernee Jennings is the Saints Player of Day 54

Bob Rose , Saints Wire · Saints Wire

Tue, Jul 21, 2026 ·

3 min read

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We are 54 days away from the 2026 New Orleans Saints regular season opener. New Orleans will travel north to kick off their year, playing at the Detroit Lions on Sunday, Sept. 13. A newcomer to the Saints, linebacker Anfernee Jennings , will be wearing No. 54 as the team goes into training camp.

Jennings was added in free agency, coming over from the AFC champion New England Patriots . More of an edge rusher than off-ball linebacker, he'll likely be competing for snaps behind Chase Young and Cameron Jordan on the outside. He's also the subject of our latest Saints Player of the Day feature.

Name (age): Anfernee Jennings (28)
Hometown: Dadeville, Ala.
Position: Edge rusher
Height, weight: 6-foot-2, 255 pounds
College: Alabama Crimson Tide
Relative Athletic Score: 3.68
Drafted: Round 3, 87th overall in 2020 ( New England Patriots )
NFL experience: 5 years
2026 salary cap hit: $1.41 million

A 1st Team all-state honoree and four-star recruit at Dadeville High School in Alabama , Jennings chose the in-state Crimson Tide over several national offers. He'd redshirt as a freshman, then made the switch from defensive end to linebacker in 2016. Jennings was a reserve that season but became a starter for the 2017 national championship squad. His last two years were extremely productive, recording 13.5 sacks, 26 tackles for loss, and 2 interceptions. Jennings ended his Alabama career in 2019 with a 1st Team All-SEC selection.

Midway through the third round of the 2020 NFL Draft, the New England Patriots took Jennings off the board with the 87th overall choice. He saw some moderate action as a rookie, getting four starts in 14 appearances but recording just 20 tackles with none for loss. A trip to injured reserve would shelve Jennings for the entire 2021 campaign. He'd return in 2022 again as a backup, getting 1.5 sacks and 4 QB hits over 16 games with three starts.

Jennings earned a starting role for New England through 2023 and 2024. Over those two years, he had 4 sacks and 21 stops for loss while making 144 total tackles. For a Patriots squad that would go on to win the conference title last season, Jennings was again relegated to mostly reserve duties. He'd appear in 14 games but had just 280 defensive snaps, recording 2 tackles and 5 stops for loss among 26 total tackles. During the Patriots playoff run, he'd add 16 tackles and 2 additional sacks.

During free agency, the Saints signed Jennings to a one-year contract worth a little over $1.4 million. The cap hit is minimal if he doesn't work out, but New Orleans hopes that he'll add quality depth at both edge rusher and possibly off-ball linebacker. On the edge, the Saints have a strong duo with Jordan and Young. Jennings will be competing with Carl Granderson , newly acquired Tyree Wilson , Chris Rumph II , and Michael Heldman for a third or fourth spot in the rotation.

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Photos from Saints DB Martin Emerson Jr.'s youth football camp

Young athletes run drills during his Youth Football Camp at Pine Forest High School Saturday, July 11, 2026, Emerson was on hand helping to run drills, engage with the youth, and provide hydration, giveaways, and lunch.

(John Blackie/Pensacola News Journal, John Blackie/Pensacola News Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)