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New Orleans rookie frustrated after being cut just one day after signing: “I feel like a joke to the Saints”

New Orleans rookie frustrated after being cut just one day after signing: “I feel like a joke to the Saints”

New Orleans, September 12, 2025 – The unbelievable series of events surrounding Hunter Dekkers at the New Orleans Saints has turned him into a hot topic in the NFL community. In less than four months, this rookie quarterback has gone through eight separate instances of being signed, released, and re-signed by the team. Most recently, he was brought back to the practice squad on September 9, only to be released again on September 10 as the Saints announced they were making room for rookie defensive end Fadil Diggs.

Saints add another QB, sign rookie Hunter Dekkers after tryout - ESPN

For Dekkers, the feeling has become almost unbearable. In a frustrated statement, he admitted:

“I understand this is the business, this is the NFL, and things change quickly. But eight sign-cut-resignations in a matter of months? And now in one day! I feel like I’m becoming more of a joke than a professional football player. One day I get good news, the next day I’m packing my bags and leaving. I can’t focus on my game when I’m waiting for an email from the team office.””

The Saints currently put their trust in Spencer Rattler as the starting quarterback, with rookie Tyler Shough (a second-round pick) running the scout team and Jake Haener maintaining his spot on the practice squad. That has made Dekkers’ path increasingly narrow, even as he continues to wait for his opportunity.

Compared to JT Barrett – who was signed and released by the Saints 27 times in just 18 months – many fans joke that Dekkers is simply “following the Saints tradition.” But for him personally, the story is no longer funny.

“I still love football and want to contribute. But I also want to be respected, not just treated like a pawn moved in and out whenever the roster needs space,” Dekkers added.

Hunter Dekkers’ future in New Orleans remains uncertain, but clearly his patience is being tested. And if the cycle continues, one day it might be Dekkers himself who decides: it’s time to walk away from the game.

Just One Hour Before Brandin Cooks Left. Head Coach Kellen Moore Quietly Walked Into the Locker Room Where Cooks Was Packing His Things. And What He Said Left All of New Orleans Choked Up and Deeply Moved.
New Orleans, Louisiana. 20/11/2025 The New Orleans Saints experienced an afternoon no one in the organization will ever forget. Just one hour before the official announcement was released. inside a locker room unusually silent. Brandin Cooks. who had given 11 seasons to this city. was slowly packing the last of his belongings. There were no cameras. no reporters. no goodbyes. Only metal lockers. dim yellow lights. and the quiet sound of a zipper being pulled shut. According to internal sources. Cooks had stayed at the facility to review practice tape when he received word about his future. He did not react strongly. simply nodded. then walked back to the locker room to gather the pieces of his decade-long career. Several teammates passing by felt their hearts sink. they knew this chapter was closing in a way no one wanted. And at that very moment. the locker room door opened. Head coach Kellen Moore walked in. no staff. no assistants. just him. Players later said they had never seen Moore enter a room with that expression. calm on the outside. but carrying something heavy within. He walked straight toward Cooks. placed a hand on his shoulder. and spoke in a low voice filled with emotion: “My friend. I know no one is ever ready for a day like this. but nothing in this locker room lasts for 11 years unless someone puts their whole heart into it. What I want you to remember is that this team’s biggest steps forward have always begun with people willing to sacrifice the way you did. and the moment you walk out of this door today will force all of us to ask ourselves whether we have lived up to the legacy you are leaving behind.” The entire room fell silent. A young player would later say he had never heard silence feel that heavy. Cooks placed his final pair of gloves in his bag. turned. and hugged Moore tightly. saying nothing. yet expressing everything. As Cooks stepped into the hallway. several teammates followed. some to thank him. others simply to stand there and witness his final moments in the building. Moore remained where he stood. watching like a mentor seeing a beloved warrior leave the battlefield. New Orleans will move forward. but that moment will live forever inside the Caesars Superdome. the place where Brandin Cooks left his heart for 11 unforgettable seasons.