New Orleans Saints Executive Vice President/General Manager Mickey Loomis announced today that the club has signed free agent edge Anfernee Jennings and cornerback Martin Emerson Jr. to one-year contracts.
Jennings, 6-2, 255, was originally selected in the third round (87th overall) of the 2020 NFL Draft by the New England Patriots out of Alabama. In 75 career regular season games with 40 starts, the Dadeville, Ala. native has recorded 210 tackles (130 solo), 7.5 sacks, 27 stops for a loss, 25 quarterback hits, three pass breakups, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries.
In 2025, when the Patriots advanced to Super Bowl LX, Jennings played in 14 regular season games with three starts and recorded 19 tackles (13 solo), two sacks and one fumble recovery. In four playoff appearances, he recorded 16 stops (nine solo), two sacks and one pass breakup.
Jennings played four seasons for the Crimson Tide (2016-19). As a senior in 2019, he played in 13 games and recorded 83 tackles, eight sacks, one forced fumble, one interception and five pass breakups, earning All-SEC first-team from conference coaches and the Associated Press, as well as being a semifinalist for the Butkus Award, annually awarded to the nation's top linebacker. He played in 15 games as a junior and posted 51 tackles, 6.5 sacks, one interception, 11 pass breakups and had two fumble recoveries, one of which was returned for a touchdown.
The New Orleans Saints announced that the club has signed edge Anfernee Jennings. Check out Jennings in action with the New England Patriots during his NFL career.
New England Patriots linebacker Anfernee Jennings (33) celebrates a tackle in the first half of an NFL wild-card playoff football game against the Los Angeles Chargers, in Foxborough, Mass., Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026.
New York Jets running back Breece Hall (20) is tackled by New England Patriots linebacker Anfernee Jennings (33) during the first quarter of an NFL football game, Sunday, Sept. 24, 2023, in East Rutherford, N.J.
New England Patriots linebacker Anfernee Jennings (33) sacks Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams during the first half of an NFL football game Sunday, Nov. 10, 2024, in Chicago.
New England Patriots linebacker Anfernee Jennings (33) defends during an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 31, 2023, in Orchard Park, NY.
New England Patriots linebacker Anfernee Jennings (33) in action during an NFL football game between the New England Patriots and the Indianapolis Colts at Deutsche Bank Park Stadium in Frankfurt, Germany, Sunday, Nov. 12, 2023.
Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, center, is hauled down by New England Patriots linebacker Anfernee Jennings during the first half of an NFL football game Sunday, Oct. 15, 2023, in Las Vegas.
New England Patriots linebacker Anfernee Jennings (33) gets in position during the first half of an NFL football game against the Baltimore Ravens, Sunday, Dec. 21, 2025, in Baltimore.
New England Patriots linebacker Anfernee Jennings (58) pursues a play on defense against the Cleveland Browns during an NFL football game in Cleveland, Sunday, Oct. 16, 2022.
New England Patriots linebacker Anfernee Jennings (33) rushes during the second half of an NFL football game against the New York Jets, Thursday, Nov. 13, 2025, in Foxborough, Mass.
New England Patriots linebacker Anfernee Jennings (33) rushes during the second half of an NFL football game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Sunday, Sept. 21, 2025, in Foxborough, Mass.
New England Patriots linebacker Anfernee Jennings (33) tackles Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams (18) during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Nov. 10, 2024, in Chicago. The Patriots defeated the Bears 19-3.
New England Patriots linebacker Anfernee Jennings (33) plays against the Seattle Seahawks during the NFL Super Bowl 60 football game, Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026 in Santa Clara, Calif.
New England Patriots linebacker Anfernee Jennings (33) battles with Houston Texans wide receiver Christian Kirk (13) during the first half of an NFL divisional playoff football game, Sunday, Jan. 18, 2026, in Foxborough, Mass.
New England Patriots linebacker Anfernee Jennings during an NFL wild-card playoff football game, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026, in Foxborough, Mass.
New England Patriots linebacker Anfernee Jennings (33) during an NFL football game against the New York Jets, Sunday, Dec. 28, 2025 in New York. The Patriots won 42-10.
Emerson, 6-2, 201, was originally selected in the third round (68th overall) of the 2022 NFL Draft by the Cleveland Browns out of Mississippi State. In 50 career regular season games with 33 starts, the Pensacola, Fla. native has recorded 202 tackles (158 solo), one sack, five stops for a loss, four interceptions, 34 pass breakups, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery. He also started the Browns 2023 Wild Card matchup against the Houston Texans, recording two solo tackles in his lone playoff appearance.
Prior to being sidelined for the entire 2025 season with an Achilles injury, Emerson started 15-of-17 games in 2024, recording a career-high 80 tackles (62 solo), three stops for a loss, five pass breakups, one forced fumble, and one fumble recovery. Emerson was also one of three NFL players to record at least 14 pass breakups in 2022 and 2023, joining CB Darius Slay and CB Darius Williams.
Emerson played three seasons for the Bulldogs (2019-21), appearing in 36 games with 28 starts and recorded 153 tackles (93 solo), six stops for a loss, one interception, 16 pass breakups, and one forced fumble. During his final season in Starkville, he started all 12 games and recorded 50 tackles (32 solo), three stops for a loss, and had three pass breakups. His 89.6 coverage grade was the highest by an SEC cornerback since 2020 and was only targeted on 50 of 375 snaps in coverage (13.3 percent), earning third-team All-SEC honors from Pro Football Focus.
The New Orleans Saints announced that the club has signed cornerback Martin Emerson Jr. Check out Emerson Jr. in action with the Cleveland Browns during his NFL career.
Cleveland Browns cornerback Martin Emerson Jr. (23) celebrates after making an interception during an NFL football game against the San Francisco 49ers, Sunday, Oct. 15, 2023, in Cleveland.
Dallas Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb (88) is tackled by Cleveland Browns cornerback Martin Emerson Jr. (23) during an NFL football game, Sunday, Sept. 8, 2024, in Cleveland.
Cleveland Browns cornerback Martin Emerson Jr. (23) in action during the second half of a NFL football game against the Baltimore Ravens, Sunday, Oct. 23, 2022, in Baltimore.
Cleveland Browns cornerback Martin Emerson Jr. (23) pursues a play on defense against the New England Patriots during an NFL football game in Cleveland, Sunday, Oct. 16, 2022,
Cleveland Browns cornerback Martin Emerson Jr. (23) is shown during an NFL football game against the Atlanta Falcons, Sunday, Oct. 2, 2022, in Atlanta.
Baltimore Ravens running back Justice Hill (43) is tackled by Cleveland Browns cornerback Martin Emerson Jr. during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Nov. 12, 2023, in Baltimore.
Cleveland Browns cornerback Martin Emerson Jr. (23) runs with the ball after making an interception during an NFL football game against the San Francisco 49ers, Sunday, Oct. 15, 2023, in Cleveland.
Cleveland Browns cornerback Martin Emerson Jr. reacts after a play during the second half of an NFL football game against the Jacksonville Jaguars, Sunday, Dec. 10, 2023, in Cleveland.
Tennessee Titans' Treylon Burks (16) is hit by Cleveland Browns cornerback Martin Emerson Jr. (23) as he reaches for a pass during an NFL football game, Sunday, Sept. 24, 2023, in Cleveland.
Cleveland Browns cornerback Martin Emerson Jr. (23) breaks up a pass intended for Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver George Pickens (14) during the first half of an NFL football game in Pittsburgh, Sunday, Jan. 8, 2023.
Cleveland Browns cornerback Martin Emerson Jr. (23) runs during an NFL football game against the Washington Commanders, Sunday, January 01, 2023 in Landover.
Cleveland Browns cornerback Martin Emerson Jr. (23) during the first half of an NFL football game against the Houston Texans in Houston, Sunday, Dec. 4, 2022, in Houston.
Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill, center, right, is tackled by Cleveland Browns cornerback Martin Emerson Jr. (23) during the second half of an NFL football game Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024, in Cleveland.
Cleveland Browns cornerback Martin Emerson Jr. (23) runs with ball during an NFL football game against the Miami Dolphins, Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024, in Cleveland.
Cleveland Browns cornerback Martin Emerson Jr. (23) tackles Denver Broncos wide receiver Courtland Sutton (14) after catching a pass in the first half of an NFL football game Monday, Dec. 2, 2024, in Denver.
