Devin Neal and Mike Heldman were shut down for the season when the New Orleans Saints put the players on injured reserve during roster cuts. Just a couple of days later, the team is waiving both of these young players with an injury settlement. It's a move they may come to regret in the near future.
The player still has to miss a set amount of time with the injury settlement but not the entire season. After that timeframe, they can can come back if another team has picked them up, or the Saints can pick them back up three weeks after the settlement ends. For example, if the settlement is for five weeks, the Saints can grab them in eight weeks.
The Saints waived RB Devin Neal and Edge Mike Heldman from injured reserve with injury settlements.
— Mike Triplett (@MikeTriplett) September 3, 2026
Saints taking a minor risk with Devin Neal and Mike Heldman
Neither Neal or Heldman was going to play this year due to being put on injured reserve, but their value came in the value they could have provided for the Saints in 2027 and beyond.
This was an interesting choice by the Saints, because Neal and Heldman are two players that could have reasonably not made it through waivers had they been a part of the initial cuts. Teams have made moves and filled gaps, so that could possibly make it easier to slip through waivers than it would have been on Sunday.
It'll be interesting to see if any other team scoops up Neal or Heldman. Even with the time they'll have to miss, they're fascinating prospects to stash. That's certainly what many believed the Saints were doing by putting Neal on injured reserve in the first place.
Neal is dealing with a hamstring injury and needs time to recover. The hamstring probably didn't need an entire season to heal, and this injury settlement is reflective of that.
The benefit of putting Neal on injured reserve is he wasn't going to make the roster, but the running back is still a talented player. If it wasn't for his injury, the conversation could have been different, but injuries kept him from even having a shot against Kendre Miller and Audric Estime.
As for Heldman, his injury came out of nowhere. Now, this injury settlement put him in a predicament fans clamored for the Saints to avoid.
Heldman feels more likely to pass through waivers than Neal. He hasn't put up much film, and his production cooled after the first preseason game. It's important to remember that Heldman was an undrafted free agent this year, so the question becomes how much was he able to change the opinion on him as a prospect in three preseason games.
Neal, on the other hand, was considered a steal in the draft and has put good tape out when healthy. Last season, Neal showcased the running ability we already knew, but shined in the passing game as a receiver and an impact blocker. It wouldn't be surprising if a team finds those traits interesting enough to want to develop over time as his hamstring heals.
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