The New Orleans Saints are working to sign free agent safety Julian Blackmon as a replacement for the retired Tyrann Mathieu, sources told ESPN's Jeremy Fowler.
A deal has not been finalized, but the sides have been in talks, sources said.
A former third-round pick, Blackmon is one of the best safeties still available. He was disappointed in his market last offseason, returning to the Indianapolis Colts on a one-year deal worth less than $4 million. His hopes were to improve his odds of landing a multiyear deal in 2025 by having a productive season, but he was knocked off course by a torn labrum he suffered in the season opener.
Blackmon, 26, still managed to play a career-high 16 games, but his performance didn't meet his expectations. The injury, he said in January, "impacted me greatly."
Even so, with three interceptions and 86 tackles, Blackmon impacted the Colts' defense and helped bring some stability to a very young and injury-plagued Indianapolis secondary.
Blackmon has shown himself to be a versatile player during his career. He was a cornerback and safety in college, then moved to free safety for most of his first three seasons. But the Colts eventually moved him to strong safety, where he thrived in 2023. Team needs prompted the Colts to move him back to free safety last season, a spot that can be less impactful in former defensive coordinator Gus Bradley's single-high safety system.
Blackmon has 10 interceptions and 300 tackles in five seasons.
ESPN's Stephen Holder contributed to this report.
