Just Hours After Parting Ways With Versatile Star Blake Grupe, Saints Shock NFL By Signing Kicker Cade York – HC Kellen Moore Calls It “The Most Disappointing Move” In NFL History
New Orleans, Louisiana – November 26, 2025
The New Orleans Saints stunned the NFL with one of the most abrupt decisions of the 2025 season: releasing Blake Grupe, a kicker who had been considered one of the team’s most reliable bright spots, only to immediately sign former LSU star Cade York to the practice squad. The move sparked widespread debate, especially given Grupe’s strong resume and the valuable contributions he made over nearly two seasons in New Orleans.
Grupe wasn’t just a kicker with a powerful leg — he delivered multiple clutch field goals that helped seal critical victories for the Saints. In 2023, he impressed coaches and analysts alike by earning the starting job as a rookie and consistently coming through in high-pressure moments. Many experts once labeled him “the most promising young kicker in the NFC South.”
But a brief stretch of struggles dramatically altered his future. Two costly misses against the Falcons last week proved to be the breaking point — and within hours, the Saints executed a stunning pivot: parting ways with Grupe and immediately moving to acquire Cade York.
In his late-night press conference following the transaction, head coach Kellen Moore did not hide his disappointment. Rather than criticizing Grupe, Moore expressed regret over how things unfolded, emphasizing the talent the Saints were forced to let go:
“It’s hard to believe it ended this way. Blake gave us so much and helped deliver big wins. But the recent results forced us into a difficult decision. If I had to name the one move that disappoints me the most because of what it could have been, this would be it.”
Meanwhile, Cade York — the LSU legend known for his iconic 57-yard fog-shrouded field goal against Florida — arrives in New Orleans with a chance to revive his career after turbulent stops with the Browns, Titans, Giants, and Commanders. The Saints are expected to elevate York to the active roster for Week 13.
Saints fans are split: some feel genuine sadness for Grupe, whose early career surge brought optimism, while others hope York can bring fresh stability to one of the team’s most critical positions.
For now, all eyes are on whether this high-stakes, controversial decision becomes the “reset” the Saints desperately need — or a gamble they’ll soon regret.
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