There are only 44 more days to go until the New Orleans Saints kick off their season against the Carolina Panthers. That makes today’s player of the day rookie linebacker Isaiah Stalbird. Let’s get to know one of the newer members to join the squad:
- Name (Age): Isaiah Stalbird (24)
- Position: Linebacker
- Height, weight: 6-foot 1, 220 pounds
- Relative Athletic Score: 9.50
- 2024 salary cap hit: $798,333
- College: South Dakota State
- Drafted: Undrafted in 2024 (New Orleans Saints)
- NFL experience: Rookie
You may not think of South Dakota State as a school that produces NFL talent, but they’ve produced some solid players. Adam Vinatieri, Dallas Goddert, and Tucker Kraft, to name a few. Isaiah Stalbird is looking to add his name to the list after a successful collegiate career.
He played a total of 52 games at both linebacker and safety and amassed 238 tackles, 18.5 tackles for loss, 18 pass deflections, and five forced fumbles. Stalbird signed with the Saints on a three-year, $2,840,000 deal after going undrafted this year. He was guaranteed $110,000 to sign with New Orleans, which is a sizeable investment.
Still, it’ll be an uphill battle for Stalbird to earn one of the starting linebacker jobs. His best path forward runs through the special teams units covering punts and kickoffs. However, with his elite athleticism demonstrated by his testing numbers, he might be able to carve a role out in the kicking game and possibly make the practice squad.
