81 days until kickoff: Kevin Austin Jr. fighting for a roster spot

There are 81 days until the New Orleans Saints kick off the 2025 regular season against the Arizona Cardinals. Wide receiver Kevin Austin Jr., who wears that very number, is the player of the day.

Kevin Austin Jr.'s college days

Austin Jr. played four years with the Notre Dame fighting Irish, but only managed to play in 26 games due to a year-long suspension (for undisclosed reasons) in 2019 and a foot injury in 2020. He gathered 54 receptions for 996 receiving yards and seven touchdowns in those games.

Austin Jr. would go undrafted in 2022 but later signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars as an undrafted free agent. Austin Jr. never made it out of their practice squad, and they would waive him the following season. He would sign with the Birmingham Stallions of the United Football League (UFL) in January of 2024.

Austin Jr.'s career took a turn up in the UFL

Joining the Stallions marked a rapid positive turn in Austin Jr.'s career. He gathered 15 receptions for 253 yards and two touchdowns, helping Birmingham become the first-ever champions of the UFL. Following the season, he would sign a one-year deal with the New Orleans Saints that August.

During his introductory press conference, Austin Jr. stated that the support from the culture is what influenced his decision to sign with the Saints.

"Just the people and the coaching staff, all the things that come with it." Austin Jr. said. "I would say the receiver crew, everybody that's in the room, I would say that I feel like I can glue to them in a certain way."

Austin Jr. was one of the final roster cuts, but the Saints quickly signed him to their practice squad. After the Saints suffered numerous injuries, they called him up to the active roster. He would make the most of that opportunity, playing in the final eight games of the regular season. In that span, Austin Jr. would gather 11 receptions for 151 yards and no touchdowns.

Throughout this offseason, the WR room in the Saints has become crowded. This will cause Austin Jr. to have to fight for that last spot on the 53-man roster. However, he is aware of this situation and has been putting in the effort.

He's managed to grow his connection with second-year quarterback Spencer Rattler so far this offseason, on and off the field. The two have been seen working out outside of practice together and have shown off that extra work during OTAs and mini camp. It should be interesting to see if that helps him secure a roster spot for the 2025 season.