Martin Emerson Jr. shares injury update before Saints training camp

The New Orleans Saints bolstered their secondary after the 2026 NFL Draft by signing former Cleveland Browns cornerback Martin Emerson Jr. to a one-year, "prove-it" contract. The signing comes less than a year after Emerson, a former third-round pick, suffered a torn Achilles during team workouts last summer, which kept him sidelined for the entire 2025 season.

Emerson confirmed Saints beat reporters on Thursday that he has been fully cleared physically for over a month and does not anticipate any restrictions for the start of training camp in July. The 25-year-old cornerback is joining a restructured Saints' secondary that aims to fill the void left by Alontae Taylor, who left New Orleans in free agency. Before his injury, the six-foot-two cornerback showed consistent improvement over his first few seasons, most recently recording 63 tackles, 18 stops, and two pass deflections in 2024.

Emerson also had a career-high four interceptions in the previous year. When injured players arrive at training camp, they are usually placed on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list. However, it seems that Emerson will be able to avoid this designation.

He is set to fully participate with the Saints' defense from the very first day, as he aims to build strong chemistry with fellow young players Quincy Riley and Kool-Aid McKinstry. Emerson also told reporters that he primarily discussed the role of boundary cornerback with the team, but indicated he was focused on doing whatever it takes to get on the field. During the 2024 season, he played a total of 829 snaps, with 731 of those at wide cornerback, which seemed to be where he felt most comfortable.