Former Iowa football TE finds new home in NFL free agency
· Yahoo Sports
Former Iowa football star tight end Noah Fant has found a new landing spot.
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The NFL's legal tampering period officially began on Monday, with numerous free agents inking new deals and finding new homes. Earlier in the day, former Hawkeye center Tyler Linderbaum signed a record-breaking deal with the Las Vegas Raiders. He would't be the only former Hawk to get a payday in free agency.
It was announced through various sources on X that Fant has agreed to a two-year contract with the New Orleans Saints.
Saints signing TE Noah Fant to a two-year deal. (via @RapSheet, @TomPelissero) pic.twitter.com/ZcNS4zcOvP
— NFL (@NFL) March 9, 2026
The exact money on the deal is still undetermined, but Fant will be taking his talents down to the Big Easy for his eighth NFL season. A former first-round pick of the Broncos, Fant spent three seasons in Denver as a productive tight end. He was moved to the Seattle Seahawks in the Russell Wilson trade in the 2022 offseason and would play his next three seasons there.
After those three decent seasons in the Pacific Northwest, Fant was released and chose to sign with the Cincinnati Bengals, where he played during the 2025 season. He had a career-low 288 receiving yards in 15 games, as he wasn't a top option on an offense that featured Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. The 28-year-old will now be heading back to the NFC, looking to revive his career.
There's still a lot of juice left in the tank for Fant. He's recorded at least 500 receiving yards in four of his seven professional seasons and has 18 career touchdowns. He's still in the prime of his career and looks primed to have a great opportunity to produce in New Orleans.
He'll be catching passes from second-year quarterback Tyler Shough, who received a ton of Rookie of the Year votes last season. While star tight end Juwan Johnson, who had nearly 900 receiving yards last season, is back for the Saints, Fant will be the primary backup and one injury away from big playing time.
While things haven't quite worked out as expected for Fant in the NFL, he has a chance to change the narrative over the next two seasons. If he produces in New Orleans, people will forget about his challenging year in Cincinnati, and he could get one more big payday as well. The potential is real for Fant, and he has a chance to prove the doubters wrong in 2026.
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This article originally appeared on Hawkeyes Wire: Former Iowa football TE finds new home in NFL free agency