Former New Orleans Saints player rips team after joining division rival

A former New Orleans Saints player took aim at the team near final cuts this year right around the time he signed up with an NFC South rival.

Defensive back Lonnie Johnson Jr. just signed with the Carolina Panthers and then threw out the following message on social media : “Now Nola yall know I love yall but now I got smoke for them people in that office.”

For background, Johnson originally joined the NFL via the second round in 2019 with Houston and wound up with the Saints in 2023, where he played just 15 percent of the snaps over 12 appearances .

This offseason, Johnson signed with Houston again, ended up getting cut and is now a member of the Panthers. Back on August 28, Johnson made it clear before he signed in Carolina that he wouldn’t be going back to New Orleans.

Whatever the divide between team and player aside, the Saints have moved forward with second-rounder Kool-Aid McKinstry and have a training camp breakout at cornerback who an insider said they would have lost if they attempted to stash on the practice squad .

The good news? Johnson will get his shot at the Saints right in Week 1 when the Saints host the Panthers on September 8.

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