Saints bring back veteran defensive end on waivers claim from Seahawks

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Saints bring back veteran defensive end on waivers claim from Seahawks

Saints bring back veteran defensive end on waivers claim from Seahawks

Arye Pulli, Saints Wire · Saints Wire

Fri, Aug 7, 2026 ·

1 min read

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The New Orleans Saints added some depth to their defensive front on Friday, claiming defensive end Garrett Nelson off waivers from the Seattle Seahawks , according to the NFL's transaction wire. One of the corresponding moves: the Saints officially placed defensive lineman Bryan Bresee on season-ending injured reserve. They also waived defensive lineman Keeshawn Silver with an injury designation.

Nelson should already be somewhat familiar with the organization. The Saints signed him to their practice squad early in the 2025 season before he signed with the Denver Broncos ' practice squad that October. The 26-year-old's most recent stop was brief: Seattle signed Nelson on Aug. 4, then waived him the next day as part of another roster move.

Nelson initially entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent out of Nebraska in the 2023 draft class and has spent time with the Miami Dolphins , Cincinnati Bengals , Denver Broncos , Saints, and Seahawks. He has yet to appear in a regular-season NFL game, but he also spent two seasons with the UFL's San Antonio Brahmas, recording 27 tackles, four tackles for loss, and 2.5 sacks in 19 games played.

The 6-foot-4, 245-pound edge defender played four seasons at Nebraska from 2019 until 2022. He recorded 167 career tackles, 26 tackles for loss, and 12 sacks in 43 games and was a second-team All-Big Ten selection in 2022. He now gets another opportunity in New Orleans as the Saints continue to adjust their defensive depth following the loss of Bresee.