Overview
- Coach Kellen Moore confirmed Sunday that defensive tackle Bryan Bresee suffered a torn ACL, will undergo season-ending surgery, and will miss the 2026 season while he recovers.
- The team already exercised Bresee’s fifth-year option in April, which keeps him under contract and on track for a $13.93 million salary in 2027.
- New Orleans plans to enlarge roles for internal depth — notably second‑round rookie Christen Miller plus Davon Godchaux, Nathan Shepherd and Vernon Broughton — and may pursue veteran additions by free agency or trade if those options fall short.
- Bresee previously tore an ACL in college in 2021 and ACL reconstructions commonly require many months of rehab, with return timelines varying and occasional faster recoveries reported in other cases.
- The loss weakens the Saints’ interior pass rush and run defense and alters the Week 1 matchup dynamics with Detroit, while leaving Bresee to focus on surgery and a long rehabilitation that aims toward his 2027 return.