The New Orleans Saints have signed defensive tackle PJ Mustipher to the active roster from the Denver Broncos practice squad, were awarded linebacker Monty Rice off waivers, placed defensive lineman Malcolm Roach and safety Marcus Maye on Injured Reserve and terminated the practice squad contract of safety Daniel Sorensen, it was announced today by Executive Vice President/General Manager Mickey Loomis.
Mustipher, 6-4, 315, was originally signed by the Broncos as an undrafted free agent this offseason before being signed to their practice squad following a preseason where he recorded six tackles.
Mustipher, a native of Owings Mills, Md., spent five years at Penn State as one of the key members of their interior defensive front, starting 28 games in his last three campaigns for the Nittany Lions. In the 2021-22 seasons, he was named as team captain and was selected All-Big Ten second-team by conference coaches and the Associated Press as a super senior, when he made 38 stops with a tackle for a loss. He earned All-Big Ten first-team honors from the AP after starting six games in 2021, finishing with 21 tackles and one sack. He finished his collegiate career appearing in 53 games, totaling 145 tackles (68 solo), 11 stops for loss, three sacks, and two forced fumbles.
Rice, 6-0, 233, was originally selected by the Titans as a third round pick (92nd overall) in the 2021 NFL Draft out of the University of Georgia. In the past three seasons, Rice has appeared in 35 games with ten starts and has recorded 110 tackles (59 solo), one forced fumble, one pass defense and 18 special teams stops. In 2023, he played in all 12 games for Tennessee and had 17 tackles and a career-high nine special teams stops.
Rice, a native of Huntsville, Ala., appeared in 47 games with 28 starts during a four-year career (2017-20) at Georgia, where he tallied 219 tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss, two sacks, 21 quarterback pressures, five passes defensed, three forced fumbles and one fumble recovery returned for a touchdown. As a senior in 2020, Rice was a finalist for the Butkus Award and earned Associated Press All-SEC first-team honors, when he appeared in nine games and made eight starts, posting 49 tackles, four tackles for loss, one sack, one pass defensed, five quarterback pressures, two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery returned for a score.
