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New Orleans Saints Announce Signing of Former Division Rival Playmaker
METAIRIE, LOUISIANA - MAY 28: Head coach Kellen Moore of the New Orleans Saints speaks to media during the OTA Offseason Workout at Ochsner Sports Performance Center on May 28, 2026 in Metairie, Louisiana. (Photo by Tyler Kaufman/Getty Images) Getty
The New Orleans Saints added another lengthy defensive back to their training-camp competition Tuesday, signing former Carolina Panthers cornerback Mike Reid and waiving Beanie Bishop.
New Orleans announced the move as players reported for camp, giving Reid an immediate opportunity to compete for a reserve role and special-teams work. The transaction is more than a routine exchange of roster spots: The Saints are replacing a cornerback with demonstrated NFL ball production in Bishop with a bigger, less experienced prospect in Reid.
Reid, listed at 6-foot-2 and 200 pounds, entered the NFL with Carolina as an undrafted free agent in 2025. He later spent time on the Panthers’ and Seattle Seahawks’ practice squads before returning to Carolina late in the season. Seattle described Reid as a rookie out of South Dakota when it signed him to its practice squad in November.
The Saints now get a closer look at whether Reid’s length and college coverage production can translate into an NFL role.
Mike Reid Brings Size and College Ball Production
Reid played four seasons at Monmouth before finishing his college career at South Dakota. According to the Saints, he totaled 171 tackles, 40 passes defensed and five interceptions across five college seasons.
His final year was his most relevant evaluation tape for New Orleans. Reid started 13 games in 2024, led South Dakota with two interceptions and earned second-team All-Missouri Valley Football Conference honors.
That résumé supports the “playmaker” label at the college level, but Reid remains an NFL projection. He has yet to establish himself in a regular-season secondary, and his immediate path in New Orleans will likely depend on showing that he can cover outside receivers while contributing on special teams.
The physical profile is nevertheless intriguing. At 6-foot-2, Reid gives the Saints another long corner capable of challenging receivers at the catch point. Training camp will determine whether that advantage is enough to separate him from the other young defensive backs fighting for the final roster spots.
Saints Move On From Beanie Bishop’s NFL Experience
Waiving Bishop makes the transaction more notable.
Bishop joined the Saints’ practice squad in December 2025 and signed a reserve/future contract after the season. Before arriving in New Orleans, he played all 17 games for Pittsburgh as a rookie in 2024, starting six and recording 39 tackles, seven pass breakups and four interceptions. He was also named to the Pro Football Writers of America’s All-Rookie Team.
Two of those interceptions came against Aaron Rodgers in a Steelers victory over the New York Jets .
Bishop’s departure therefore is not simply the release of an unknown camp body. He had already demonstrated that he could handle defensive snaps and create turnovers in an NFL secondary.
Reid offers substantially more size, however. Bishop was listed by New Orleans at 5-foot-10 and 184 pounds when the Saints signed him in 2025. The move may indicate that the coaching staff wants to evaluate a different type of cornerback—one with more length for outside assignments—even if Reid arrives with less professional experience.
It would be premature to interpret the signing as a major change to the Saints’ defensive plans. Reid is entering a roster competition, not stepping directly into a starting job. But replacing Bishop with Reid gives New Orleans a new developmental profile to study throughout practices and the preseason.
Saints Place 4 Players on Active Injury Lists
The Saints also placed tight end Cody Hardy and defensive lineman Zxavian Harris on the Active/Non-Football Injury list. Defensive lineman Keeshawn Silver and wide receiver Mason Tipton were placed on Active/Physically Unable to Perform.
Those designations do not necessarily mean lengthy absences. They allow the Saints to hold the players out at the start of camp while retaining flexibility before the regular season. At the August 30 roster deadline, teams must decide whether players remaining on Active/PUP or Active/NFI will stay on the active roster, be moved to the corresponding reserve list or receive another roster designation.
For Reid, the next few weeks offer a more straightforward challenge. He must turn his college production, size and practice-squad experience into enough preseason value to survive one of the NFL’s most competitive roster periods.
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