Saints move on from CB Jayden Price, add Decamerion Richardson

The New Orleans Saints waived cornerback Jayden Price two days after he fumbled the opening kickoff in the second half against the Minnesota Vikings, a mistake that immediately swung field position and energized the opponent at a key early moment of the game. The waiver reflects a fast roster decision by a club that has been seeking consistent execution across both coverage and special teams.

According to Yahoo Sports, Price appeared in five games and recorded three tackles during his time with the Saints. He also logged 112 special teams snaps, underscoring that the primary pathway for his playing time had been teams rather than starting defensive snaps. The special-teams workload matters because kickoff and punt phases are often where coaches look for reliability, particularly from cornerbacks who must locate the ball and make secure returns or tackles in traffic.

In place of Price, New Orleans signed cornerback Decamerion Richardson. The move indicates the Saints want a fresh look at cornerback depth who can contribute immediately, especially on kickoff return coverage and other phases where marginal errors can have outsized impact in tight weeks.

The Saints have now adjusted their back-end rotation with a transaction that was triggered by a specific game moment rather than a slow, season-long trend. When a play occurs at the start of the second half, staff attention tends to be heightened because it can reveal whether a player is set for the speed and angles of the next opponent sequence.

Price’s departure also highlights how quickly NFL roster decisions can follow special-teams mistakes. Even when a player’s season statistics are limited, coaches weigh ball security and tackling fundamentals on kickoffs and coverage units, and they can respond swiftly if they believe the error is fixable only by changing personnel.

For Richardson, the signing creates an immediate opportunity to earn meaningful snaps. With Price’s 112 special teams snaps already quantified by the report, Richardson’s path will likely involve showing he can handle kickoff duties and maintain discipline in space. His performance in practice and in the next game plan could determine whether he becomes a longer-term depth piece or remains a short-term roster bridge.

What to watch next for New Orleans is how the cornerback rotation stabilizes on special teams. The Saints’ next opponent will likely test kickoff coverage and boundary speed, and Richardson’s ability to prevent repeat mistakes will be an early measuring stick for the decision to add him.

For Minnesota, the Price fumble is part of why the kickoff sequence landed with impact in the game narrative. For New Orleans, the transaction is a reminder that the “small” moments on special teams are often treated as roster-level issues, especially when a player is not yet a week-to-week defensive starter.