The New Orleans Saints announced today that they have signed free agent tight end J.P. Holtz and terminated the contract of quarterback Blake Bortles. The announcements were made by Saints' Executive Vice President/General Manager Mickey Loomis.
Holtz, 6-3, 255 was originally signed by the Cleveland Browns as a free agent following the 2016 NFL Draft out of Pittsburgh. The Pittsburgh native has appeared in 44 regular season games for Washington (2019) and the Chicago Bears (2019-21), recording seven receptions for 91 yards, while also contributing on special teams on multiple units with 11 career tackles.
In 2021, Holtz appeared in 13 games for the Bears, contributing on both offense and special teams with four coverage stops (two solo). As a rookie in 2019, he posted seven grabs for 91 yards for Chicago.
In four seasons for the Panthers from 2012-15, Holtz posted 81 receptions for 931 yards and 11 touchdowns. As a senior in 2015, he posted 24 grabs for 350 yards (14.6 avg.) with four scoring grabs.
New Orleans Saints announced that they have agreed to terms with free agent tight end