New Orleans Saints News

Saints Sign Daniel Carlson, Trade for Zamir White

by
The Who Dat Daily Staff
2026-08-24

New Orleans responds to a 34-0 preseason loss by adding a proven veteran leg and much-needed insurance to an injury-ravaged backfield.

By Gee Bino | The Who Dat Daily
August 24, 2026

The New Orleans Saints did not wait long to respond to the problems exposed during Saturday’s 34-0 preseason loss to the Los Angeles Rams.

New Orleans is signing veteran kicker Daniel Carlson, according to reports from NFL Network, and reportedly acquired running back Zamir White from the San Francisco 49ers in exchange for linebacker Deion Jones. The two moves address different areas, but both carry the same message: the Saints are no longer willing to enter the regular season relying entirely on projection and hope.

The #Saints are signing two-time All-Pro K Daniel Carlson, his agents at @RangeSportsRMP tell me and @RapSheet.

The former #Raiders kicker brings experience to New Orleans, which had been holding a competition between Tanner Brown and Charlie Smyth. pic.twitter.com/bTL7entvEH
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) August 24, 2026

One important correction belongs at the top of the story. Carlson is not a two-time Pro Bowler. He is a two-time Associated Press All-Pro selection, earning second-team honors in 2021 and first-team honors in 2022. That is a stronger and more accurate description of his résumé.

The Saints still have questions at both positions. Carlson’s recent production has declined, while White arrives as a depth back rather than a replacement for Alvin Kamara. Even so, both moves make practical sense with the September 13 opener at Detroit approaching.

What the Saints added

Carlson gives New Orleans an accomplished veteran to compete with Tanner Brown and Charlie Smyth. White gives the backfield another healthy, experienced runner after injuries struck Kamara, Audric Estime and Devin Neal in a span of less than two weeks.

The reported White trade is also notable because it does not cost the Saints draft capital. Jones signed with New Orleans earlier in August and was competing for a reserve linebacker and special-teams role. San Francisco needed linebacker depth, while the Saints urgently needed another running back.

That is the type of player-for-player exchange that can help both clubs without creating a major financial or long-term commitment.

Daniel Carlson brings a real résumé—but not a guaranteed solution

Carlson, 31, has made 225 of 259 career field-goal attempts, an 86.9-percent conversion rate, along with 244 of 255 extra points. His career-long field goal is 60 yards.

At his peak with the Raiders, Carlson was among the NFL’s most dependable kickers. He converted 40 of 43 field goals in 2021 and 34 of 37 in 2022. Those seasons produced his two All-Pro selections and established him as one of the league’s premier pressure kickers.

The Saints must also evaluate the complete picture.

Carlson’s field-goal percentage slipped to 86.7 in 2023, 85.0 in 2024 and 81.5 in 2025. Last season, he made 22 of 27 field goals and 21 of 22 extra points. He remained capable from distance, converting five of eight attempts from at least 50 yards, but he was no longer performing at his All-Pro level.

That means this signing should create competition—not a ceremonial handoff of the job.

Brown made both of his attempts in the preseason opener against Jacksonville, including a 49-yarder, but missed from 39 yards against the Rams. Smyth missed his only preseason attempt, a 52-yarder. Neither young kicker has separated from the competition, and the regular season is too close for New Orleans to ignore a proven alternative.

Carlson should enter as the favorite. He should still have to earn it.

Why the Saints needed Zamir White

The Saints’ backfield has been hit hard by injuries.

Kamara is expected to miss four to six weeks with a sprained MCL. Estime is dealing with an ankle injury suffered against Jacksonville. Neal reinjured his hamstring during the Rams game, marking another setback after hamstring problems affected his camp.

That left Travis Etienne Jr., Kendre Miller, Ty Chandler and rookie CJ Donaldson as the primary healthy options. Etienne is the lead back, but the Saints cannot ask him to absorb every preseason and early-season touch. Miller has talent but a lengthy injury history. Chandler’s red-zone fumble against Los Angeles did not help his roster case, while Donaldson remains an unproven rookie.

White gives the room a physical early-down runner with NFL experience. The former 2022 fourth-round pick has recorded 736 rushing yards, two rushing touchdowns and 152 receiving yards in 45 career games. His best stretch came with the Raiders, but he never established himself as a consistent long-term starter.

New Orleans does not need him to become one.

The Saints need White to protect the offense from another injury, handle short-yardage and early-down work, and give Kellen Moore enough healthy bodies to maintain a committee. He is insurance with a chance to earn a defined role.

What the Deion Jones trade means for the defense

Moving Jones creates some risk at linebacker, but it is a calculated one.

The veteran had been with the Saints for only a short period and was competing for a backup role. He brought speed, coverage experience and 761 career tackles, but the Saints evidently believed the need at running back was greater than the value he provided in a crowded defensive competition.

San Francisco offers Jones a reunion with defensive coordinator Raheem Morris, who coached him in Atlanta. White faced a crowded 49ers backfield and now joins a Saints room with immediate opportunity.

The trade is less about one team “winning” than it is about roster fit. New Orleans converted a player who might not have survived final cuts into help at one of its thinnest positions.

How the two moves affect final cuts

Carlson’s arrival puts Brown and Smyth under immediate pressure. Carrying two kickers on the 53-man roster is unlikely, so the Saints’ final preseason game against Dallas may decide whether Carlson wins the job outright or one of the younger kickers forces the coaching staff to reconsider.

White’s arrival creates a different battle. Etienne and Miller remain the leading healthy backs. White should receive an accelerated audition, while Chandler and Donaldson must prove their value on special teams and in pass protection. Estime and Neal’s medical timelines will influence how many running backs the Saints initially retain.

The Saints also must avoid confusing activity with resolution. Carlson’s résumé does not erase three years of declining percentages. White’s arrival does not replace Kamara’s receiving ability or guarantee better run blocking.

These are sensible moves. They are not magic.

Big Q’s Take

This is the correct response to what New Orleans has seen through two preseason games.

The Saints did not surrender a draft pick for a running back, and they did not pretend the kicking competition was healthy simply because it had already lasted most of camp. They added two veterans at positions where uncertainty had become dangerous.

Carlson should be the Week 1 kicker if he proves that his mechanics and confidence are stable. His past three seasons are a legitimate warning, but his experience in pressure situations gives the Saints something Brown and Smyth cannot yet match.

White is a practical addition, not a splash move. If he gives New Orleans dependable carries, short-yardage power and competent pass protection until Kamara returns, the trade will have accomplished its purpose.

The larger issue remains the offensive line and overall execution. No running back can repair missed blocks, and no kicker can help an offense that fails to cross midfield. These moves strengthen the roster, but the Saints still must fix the football that led to a 34-0 embarrassment.

Why It Matters

New Orleans opens the regular season at Detroit in less than three weeks. Close road games frequently turn on field position, special teams and the ability to protect a lead with the running game.

Carlson could stabilize the kicking operation. White could prevent the backfield from collapsing under its injury load. Those are meaningful improvements for a team that cannot afford to give away hidden yards or expose Etienne to an unsustainable workload.

The Saints still have to prove that these moves translate to dependable Sunday production.

Prediction: Daniel Carlson wins the kicking job, while Zamir White makes the initial 53-man roster as an early-down and short-yardage reserve.

Confidence level: 78%

Gee Bino is a senior writer and columnist for The Who Dat Daily, covering the New Orleans Saints, Pelicans, LSU athletics and the Gulf South sports landscape. Follow The Who Dat Daily for daily news, analysis and exclusive team coverage.