NFL CAREER – Kaden Elliss returned to New Orleans in the offseason after originally being the second of two seventh round draft choices (244th overall) in the 2019 NFL Draft out of the University of Idaho and spending his first four seasons with the club. Elliss is a strong, athletic player with coverage, pass rush and run-stopping abilities who by the end of his Saints tenure had developed into a three-down player. Returning to the Saints after spending the last three seasons with the Atlanta Falcons, in 2025, he started all 17 games and finished with 107 tackles (59 solo), 3.5 sacks, ten stops for a loss, ten quarterback hits, one interception, six pass breakups (career-best) and forced one fumble. In seven NFL seasons, Elliss has appeared in 99 career games with 63 starts, recording 466 tackles (272 solo), 20.5 sacks, 37 stops for loss, 45 quarterback hits, two interceptions, 14 pass breakups, four forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, and 15 coverage stops. The son of former NFL standout Luther Elliss with two younger brothers who currently play in the NFL, Elliss will look to bring a strong veteran presence and strength, speed and size to the linebacker room in his return to New Orleans in 2026.
CAREER TRANSACTIONS – Agreed to terms with the New Orleans Saints (UFA-Atl.) on a multi-year contract, 3/11/26; Signed by the Atlanta Falcons (UFA-NO) to a three-year contract, 3/16/23; Activated by Saints from Reserve/COVID-19, 12/29/21; Placed by Saints on Reserve/COVID-19, 12/23/21; Activated by Saints from Reserve/COVID-19, 8/7/20; Placed by Saints on Reserve/COVID-19, 8/6/20; Placed by Saints on Injured Reserve, 9/25/19; Signed by Saints to a four-year contract, 5/10/19; Selected by Saints in the seventh round (244th overall) of the 2019 NFL Draft.
2025 – Notched 107 tackles (59 solo), ten quarterback hits, ten stops for loss, 3.5 sacks, one interception, six pass breakups and one forced fumble in 17 starts in his final season in Atlanta…Recorded a sack on fourth down with 8:09 remaining in the third quarter in Week 11 vs. Carolina, Nov. 16, bringing season total to 3.5. He finished the game with five solo tackles…Logged a sack in Week 10 at Indianapolis, Nov. 9 and added six tackles and one pass breakup…Finished the Week Eight game vs. Miami, Oct. 26, with a game-high 12 tackles (seven solo), two tackles for loss and one pass breakup, marking his 14th game with ten-or-more tackles as Falcon…Recorded his second career interception in Week Seven at San Francisco, Oct. 19, and finished game with nine tackles (four solo) and one pass breakup. Became one of five players in the NFL with six-or-more sacks and two-or-more interceptions since the start of last season and is one of eight players in the NFL with at least one sack and at least one pick in both 2024 and 2025. Totaled five tackles (three solo), two QB hits, one stop for loss and a half sack. Recorded four tackles (two solo), including a stop on fourth-and-inches on the Vikings opening drive to force a turnover on downs in Week Two at Minnesota, Sept. 14. 2024 – Started all 17 games for Atlanta in 2024 and recorded a career-high in tackles (150), quarterback hits (16) and his first career interception, in addition to eight stops for loss, five sacks, three pass breakups, a forced fumble, a recovery and a special teams stop. Led team with 150 tackles and tied for fifth in league and second in NFC. Also led league with ten double-digit tackle games. Became only player in Falcons history to have totaled 100-or-more tackles, five-or-more sacks and one interception in a single season…At Philadelphia, Sept. 14, finished with 11 tackles (six solo) in 22-21 victory over eventual Super Bowl champions…At Tampa Bay, Oct. 27, recorded 11 tackles (seven solo) to help the Falcons to a 31-26 win and series sweep…Vs. Dallas, Nov. 3, tied a career-high with 13 tackles (eight solo), one sack, two stops for loss and three QB hits in 27-21 win…At Las Vegas, Dec. 16, recorded a team-leading 11 tackles (six solo), one stop for loss, one sack, and two QB hits…In 34-7 Monday Night Football win over N.Y. Giants, Dec. 22, to keep Falcons in division race, registered seven tackles (two solo), a sack, two QB hits and a forced fumble...At Tampa Bay, Dec. 5, started at WLB and recorded eight tackles (three solo). 2023 – Started in all 17 games for the first time in his career in his first season with the Falcons, posting what were career-highs of 122 tackles (82 solo), a career-best 11 stops for loss, four sacks and six QB hits…In opener vs. Carolina, Sept. 10, had nine tackles (six solo)…Vs. Green Bay, Sept. 17, recorded six solo tackles, one sack/QB hit/stop for loss…Vs. Houston, Oct. 8, registered six tackles (four solo), as Falcons held Texans to 64 yards rushing on 23 carries (2.8 avg.)…At Tampa Bay, Oct. 22, started at SLB and played on special teams, recorded six tackles (five solo), including one stop for loss and a sack…Vs. New Orleans, Nov. 26, registered six tackles (four solo), two stops for loss and a pass breakup...At N.Y. Jets, Dec. 3, recorded six tackles (five solo), keeping the Jets out of the end zone in a 13-8 win and holding them to 62 rushing yards on 25 carries (2.5 avg.)...Vs. Indianapolis, Dec. 24, recorded ten tackles (five solo), a career-high three stops for loss, one sack, one quarterback hit and a pass breakup. 2022 – Played in all 17 games for first time in career with 11 starts, posting what were career-highs of 74 tackles (41 solo), a career-best seven sacks and two forced fumbles, adding four special teams stops…Vs. Cincinnati, Oct. 16, saw time on defense and had one solo tackle/QB hit/stop for loss/sack…Vs. Baltimore, Nov. 7, recorded five tackles (four solo) and a sack…At Pittsburgh, Nov. 13, started at WLB and saw action on special teams, registering seven tackles (three solo), one sack and a forced fumble…Vs. L.A. Rams, Nov. 20, started at SLB and played on special teams, recording a team-leading 11 tackles (six solo), including one stop for loss, a career-high 1.5 sacks, a pass breakup and a coverage tackle…At San Francisco, Nov. 27, started and registered career-high 13 tackles (career-best ten solo)...At Tampa Bay, Dec. 5, started at WLB and recorded eight tackles (three solo)...At Philadelphia, 1/1/23, Started, recording five tackles, a career-high tying 1.5 sacks for a six-yard loss, two stops for loss, three quarterback hits and a forced fumble. 2021 – Appeared in 13 games with one start and recorded 13 tackles (six solo), his first career sack and a fumble recovery, while adding four special teams stops…In season opener vs. Green Bay (played in Jacksonville due to Hurricane Ida), Sept. 12, played on defense and special teams, recovering one fumble in New Orleans' 38-3 win…At Carolina, Sept. 19, saw action on defense and special teams, recording a coverage tackle…At New England, Sept. 26, recorded four tackles (three solo)…Vs. N.Y. Giants, Oct. 3, played on defense and special teams and recorded three tackles (one solo)…Vs. Atlanta, Nov. 7, saw time on defense and special teams, recording three tackles…At Tennessee, Nov. 14, made the first start of his career at LB and saw time on special teams, recording one solo tackle and a special teams stop...Vs. Buffalo, Nov. 25, had one solo tackle and first career sack...Missed the next four contests with a hamstring injury as well as being placed on the Reserve/COVID-19 list…At Atlanta, 1/9/22, recorded one defensive tackle and one special teams stop. 2020 – Appeared in 15 regular season games and two postseason contests recording five special teams tackles (four solo)…At Detroit, Oct. 4, saw action on defense and on special teams, recording one coverage tackle…Vs. L.A. Chargers, Oct. 12, saw action on special teams and recorded one tackle…At Chicago, Nov. 1, appeared on special teams, recording an assisted tackle…At Tampa Bay, Nov. 8, saw action on special teams, recording one coverage stop...Vs. Kansas City, Dec. 20, played on special teams and recorded one tackle. 2019 – Played in the first three games of 2019, posting one assisted tackle on special teams…Vs. Houston, Sept. 9, made NFL regular season debut on special teams…Had first career stats at L.A. Rams, Sept. 15, recording one assisted special teams stop.
COLLEGE – In four seasons at Idaho (2014-18), starting 47-of-48 games and recording 288 stops, 47 tackles for loss and 17 sacks…As a senior, started all 11 games and was named All-Big Sky first-team and to the National Football Foundation and College Football Hall of Fame Hampshire Honor Society...Recorded 60 tackles (41 solo), seven sacks, three pass breakups, a forced fumble and a recovery...The team leader with 16 stops for loss and second in the Big Sky Conference in stops for loss and third in sacks. Also caught three passes for 20 yards…As junior, named second-team All-Sun Belt Conference at LB and started all 12 games recording six sacks, two fumbles, ranked third in conference with 16 tackles for loss and second in conference with 15 solo tackles for loss...Also played on offense at TE and WR recording seven receptions for 156 yards and two TDs...First FBS player to record a sack and a touchdown reception in the same game since 2013, accomplishing the feat twice…As a sophomore, named All-Sun Belt Honorable Mention and finished with 65 tackles, eight stops for loss, five interceptions, one returned for a TD and two fumble recoveries…As a true freshman, finished second on the team with 83 tackles, four quarterback hurries and a sack…Graduated with bachelor's degree in operations management.
PERSONAL – Named Utah High School Athletic Association MVP in 2013 after leading Judge Memorial Catholic (Salt Lake City, Utah) HS to its first state championship in 30 seasons as the team's starting QB and DE....Earned Deseret News 3A MVP…Threw for 714 yards and nine touchdowns, added 921 rushing yards and 16 touchdowns on ground and on defense, registered 52 tackles and one interception...Honor roll member throughout high school…In 2020, spoke about the importance of athletic-educational balance at Sacred Heart School...One of 12 children in a blended family, where he has four biological brothers and sisters and seven adopted siblings...Father, Luther is Utah's defensive tackles coach and was a 12-year National Football League veteran with the Detroit Lions and Denver Broncos and a two-time Pro Bowl selection...One younger brother, Christian, currently plays linebacker for the New England Patriots and another, Jonah, plays linebacker for the Broncos…Played in the Saints Hall of Fame Golf Tournament at Chateau Country Club in 2022 and 2026…For the league's "My Cause, My Cleats" promotion in 2022, wore specially designed cleats to support The Orphan Network, an organization that focuses on adoption, foster care and orphans by providing families with the resources and tools throughout their adoption and foster care journeys…Hosted a holiday shopping event where he provided patients from Children's Healthcare of Atlanta with a $500 shopping spree at a department store in 2025…Has hosted Georgia Kids Belong, an organization that helps foster care find belonging, and supports foster families as they work to support vulnerable children in Georgia at the Falcons' practice facility in back-to-back seasons. Through the foundation's, 'I Belong Project', the children spend the day taking headshots, getting interviewed, touring the practice facility, watching some of practice, and meeting and receiving autographs from players. The content filmed was used by Georgia Kids Belong to help the children get adopted. Through this project, numerous children have been adopted…Elliss also dedicated his My Cause My Cleats to this foundation during his Falcons tenure…Helped construct a kid-designed playground in Stone Mountain, Ga., in 2025…In May, participated in the team's "Inside The Brand" presentation to corporate sponsors, joining teammates David Edwards, Justin Reid and Tyler Shough to discuss the team's optimism for 2026…In May, participated in a video call with French media to educate them on the game in advance of the team participating in the first NFL contest to be played in France on Oct. 25.
