Now this is interesting. FOX 26 KRIV Houston’s Mark Berman first reports that the New Orleans Saints will host the Houston Texans for joint practices ahead of their 2023 preseason game at the Caesars Superdome, giving the Saints an extended look at a team surrounded by intrigue and two high-profile rookie draft picks in quarterback C.J. Stroud and defensive end Will Anderson Jr.
The third preseason game is traditionally seen as the “dress rehearsal” with the most minutes played by the starters, so the Saints should come out of this experience with a very strong idea of what Stroud, Anderson, and their teammates bring to the table. Joint workouts like these are valuable learning experiences for all involved, giving players and coaches an opportunity to evaluate their team against new opponents after a rigorous training camp full of the same matchups day in and day out.
These joint practices typically run two days before the preseason game, and the Saints are also planning on meeting with the Los Angeles Chargers out west when they visit for another exhibition game on Aug. 20. Fans are often welcome to attend but no announcement has been made by the team just yet, so stay tuned.
So that’s two of their three preseason opponents agreeing to share the practice field; New Orleans opens the exhibition series against the Kansas City Chiefs on Aug. 13, but no joint workouts are scheduled yet.
Kickoff with the Texans is currently scheduled for 7 p.m. CT on Aug. 27 at the Caesars Superdome, but here’s another added wrinkle: the Saints will fly out to play against the Texans about a month later for a game at NRG Stadium in Houston on Oct. 15. Guarding rookie quarterbacks like Stroud can be a challenge given the scarcity of game tape against NFL defenses, but the Saints could enjoy the benefits of multiple practices and a preseason game before with Stroud before that matchup in Week 6.
