An opportunity to right two wrongs with one move does not come around often, but at the NFL Trade Deadline, the New Orleans Saints can do that. Former first-round selection Cesar Ruiz never reached the expectations New Orleans put on him. Although the height of his play was excellent, New Orleans may have finally had enough of the inconsistency.
How Did Cesar Ruiz and the Saints Get to This Point?
When New Orleans selected Ruiz in 2020, it was a head-scratching pick given that Ruiz’s college experience was primarily at C. The Saints had a history of moving offensive linemen from their original positions to new spots on the line, and sometimes it worked, but in Ruiz’s case, it never really did. This season, Ruiz has a C- grade (72.3) in PFSN’s OL Player Impact Metrics.
There was always potential there with Ruiz, and improvement was being made, so New Orleans decided to extend him to a four-year, $44 million contract. That was also not a great decision in hindsight, given the stall in improvement, and now, per Jeremy Fowler, the Saints have made Ruiz available in trade talks.
Week 9 buzz file:
-Hendrickson, Thibodeaux not available right now
-Trade musings on Jets, Patriots, Raiders, Saints, Lions, more
-The lead-up to Lamar’s TNF return
-Injury updatesWith @DanGrazianoESPN https://t.co/hwH7AiofZE
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) October 29, 2025
What New Orleans Could Get in Return
Like with many of the players the Saints have made available, New Orleans will want their ideal price met to make a deal happen. They won’t be able to get back a first-round pick to recoup the one they used on Ruiz, but they can come close. He is still a starter in the NFL and thrives in a zone-run scheme.
One team in particular may be the perfect destination for Ruiz: The San Francisco 49ers. G is one of their top needs left, and if the 49ers hope to make the playoffs, an improvement must be found. If a trade is done, the potential price would be a second-round pick due to the significant cap hit the Saints would incur.
Potential Trade: Saints send G Cesar Ruiz <-> 49ers send 2026 second-round pick
