Juwan Johnson
Johnson is a bell-cow, high-target tight end for the Saints' passing game for the remainder of the season, and his sitting out the entire preseason was standard veteran rest rather than a red flag.
Role
Johnson is the clear top tight end in New Orleans' rotation, finishing second on the team in targets (behind only Chris Olave) with 102 targets on the year, and he has built strong rapport with rookie QB Tyler Shough; with Rashid Shaheed traded and Brandin Cooks waived, he projects to keep seeing 6-9 targets a game as one of the top two or three passing-game options in the offense.
He's posting career-high volume (77 catches, 889 yards) that ranks among the league's top TEs in receiving yards, has a growing rapport with Shough, and the loss of two receivers (Shaheed traded, Cooks waived) further clears his target path for the rest of the year.
Despite the huge target share, his touchdown production has been modest (three scores on over 100 targets), so his weekly ceiling is capped unless the Saints' red-zone offense improves, and as a big, possession-type target he's more of a high-floor, moderate-upside piece than a game-breaking one.
Where analysts split
There isn't a real split among analysts here — coverage is consistently bullish on his role and floor, with the only nuance being whether his touchdown rate normalizes upward given his TD history (a 7-score season in 2022) or stays low as it has for most of 2025.
Injury: Questionable — assessed ignore
Illness, no game designation
Johnson practiced fully Friday and has no designation for Sunday; illness has cleared and he's expected to play his normal role.
What would change this: Any downgrade or illness recurrence before kickoff
Research confidence: reported. Outlooks are grounded in web search over current reporting and refreshed through the season.
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