New Orleans sent veteran linebacker Deion Jones to San Francisco for former Raiders running back Zamir White after injuries rapidly thinned the Saints’ backfield.

By Big Q | The Who Dat Daily
August 24, 2026

The New Orleans Saints did not trade for Zamir White because they wanted another luxury piece in an already crowded backfield. They made the move because the depth chart changed dramatically in a matter of days.

With Alvin Kamara expected to miss four to six weeks because of an MCL sprain, Ty Chandler facing an extended absence with a knee injury, Devin Neal aggravating a hamstring issue and Audric Estime sidelined by an ankle injury, the Saints needed an available, experienced runner before the preseason finale and final roster cuts.

That urgency produced Monday’s deal: New Orleans acquired White from the San Francisco 49ers in exchange for recently signed linebacker Deion Jones. The trade was one of three roster moves announced by the Saints, who also signed two-time All-Pro kicker Daniel Carlson and placed cornerback Rejzohn Wright on injured reserve.

The most important takeaway is simple: White arrives because New Orleans could no longer afford to wait for its running back room to get healthy.

Saints Running Back Injury Report

Head coach Kellen Moore’s update after the 34-0 preseason loss to the Los Angeles Rams made the position’s growing problem impossible to ignore.

Player	Status as of Aug. 24	What it means
Alvin Kamara	MCL sprain; expected to miss approximately four to six weeks	His availability for the start of the regular season is in doubt, and the Saints must prepare without him in the short term.
Ty Chandler	Knee injury; Moore indicated he will be “down for a while” as testing continues	Chandler’s injury created the most immediate need for another healthy veteran.
Devin Neal	Re-aggravated a hamstring injury against the Rams	The undrafted rookie’s timetable remains uncertain while the team evaluates the setback.
Audric Estime	Ankle injury suffered in the preseason opener; did not travel to Los Angeles	He remains unavailable and cannot currently provide the early-down depth New Orleans needs.
Kendre Miller	Recently returned from a back issue	He is available again, but his injury history makes dependable depth behind him especially important.
Travis Etienne Jr.	Healthy	He projects as the lead option while Kamara recovers.
CJ Donaldson Jr.	Healthy depth	He has an opportunity to strengthen his roster case during the final preseason week.
Zamir White	Acquired from San Francisco	He gives the Saints a healthy, experienced runner who can immediately compete for carries.

Reuters reported that Kamara is expected to miss four to six weeks. Additional reporting said Estime did not make the Los Angeles trip because of his ankle and that Neal reinjured his hamstring during the Rams game. ESPN’s report carried by ABC7 also connected those injuries to the urgency behind the White trade.

Moore did not announce final return dates for Chandler, Neal or Estime. Until imaging and rehabilitation timelines are complete, any more precise forecast would be speculation.

The Rams game produced other health concerns as well. Wide receiver Bub Means reportedly left with a hamstring issue, tight end Moliki Matavao injured a knee, guard/center Torricelli Simpkins III entered the concussion protocol, defensive tackle Brien Taylor suffered a stinger and defensive back Lorenzo Styles Jr. dealt with a calf problem. Those cases add to the workload for the medical staff, although the running back cluster was the clear driver behind Monday’s trade.

What Zamir White Brings to New Orleans

White is best known for his four seasons with the Las Vegas Raiders. The 26-year-old former Georgia standout was a fourth-round pick in 2022 and has appeared in 45 NFL games with nine starts.

He has produced 736 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 198 career carries, along with 25 receptions for 152 yards. White’s most productive stretch came late in the 2023 season, when he showed that he could handle a larger workload. His production declined afterward, and he recorded only 32 rushing yards on 12 attempts in six games for Las Vegas in 2025.

San Francisco signed White on Aug. 12, but his stay lasted less than two weeks. The 49ers’ depth at running back made him expendable; the Saints’ injuries made him valuable.

White is a compact, downhill runner who is most comfortable attacking between the tackles. He should not be viewed as a one-for-one replacement for Kamara’s receiving ability or open-field creativity. His job is to give Moore a trustworthy early-down option, absorb physical carries and prevent New Orleans from overloading Etienne or Miller before the regular season begins.

The trade also gives the coaching staff time. White has played meaningful NFL snaps, understands professional pass-protection expectations and should require less development than a late waiver claim or an inexperienced street free agent.

The Cost: Deion Jones Heads to San Francisco

New Orleans signed Jones earlier this month, but the backfield emergency changed the roster calculus.

The 31-year-old former Pro Bowl linebacker has accumulated 761 tackles, 12 sacks and 13 interceptions across 128 regular-season games, including 91 starts. His speed and coverage history gave the Saints an intriguing veteran option, but the team had more flexibility at linebacker than it did at running back.

For San Francisco, Jones provides experienced depth and reunites with defensive coordinator Raheem Morris, who knows him from their time in Atlanta. For New Orleans, moving a recently added veteran for a position of immediate need was a practical exchange rather than a referendum on Jones’ ability.

Reuters confirmed the one-for-one trade and the career records of both players.

Every Saints Roster Move Announced Today

The Saints’ official transaction announcement listed three moves on Aug. 24:

1. Acquired RB Zamir White from the San Francisco 49ers.
2. Traded LB Deion Jones to San Francisco.
3. Signed K Daniel Carlson and placed CB Rejzohn Wright on injured reserve.

No player was listed as waived in that announcement. Wright’s move was an injured-reserve transaction, not a waiver, and created the roster opening associated with Carlson’s signing.

Carlson adds a proven specialist to a competition that had featured Tanner Brown and Charlie Smyth. The former Raiders kicker made 22 of 27 field-goal attempts and 21 of 22 extra points in 2025. Neither Brown nor Smyth was announced as waived in the same release, so the immediate result is a three-man kicking picture unless another transaction follows.

What the Running Back Depth Chart Looks Like Now

If the Saints had to play a meaningful game today, Etienne would be the safest choice to lead the backfield. Miller and White would provide complementary early-down work, while Donaldson would remain a developmental power option.

Kamara’s return would reshape that rotation, particularly on passing downs. The question is whether Chandler, Neal or Estime can recover quickly enough to remain in the short-term roster equation. With final cuts approaching, medical information will matter almost as much as preseason performance.

White therefore enters with a legitimate opportunity. He does not need to become the centerpiece of the offense. He needs to learn the protections, run decisively and prove that the Saints can trust him while four other backs work through injuries.

The Bottom Line

The Saints entered camp with unusual depth at running back and exited the second preseason game searching for healthy bodies. Trading Jones for White was a direct response to that reversal.

New Orleans now has an experienced insurance policy, a former All-Pro kicker and one fewer healthy veteran linebacker. Whether the trade becomes a lasting success will depend on White’s fit and the recovery of Kamara, Chandler, Neal and Estime. For now, it was a necessary move made at a position where waiting was no longer an option.