The start to former Notre Dame running back Audric Estime's NFL career was almost certainly not what he hoped it would be. However, on Sunday, he made a statement that might allow him to officially get a second crack at a long and productive run in the pros.
Estime began his career after getting drafted by the Denver Broncos. Unfortunately, after one injury-hampered season, he was eventually released by the eventual AFC West champion. The good news is that the New Orleans Saints ultimately picked him up and, after getting his bearings, is starting to show the same sort of mix of tough running and surprising burst that made him so successful in South Bend.
The former Notre Dame star played a significant role in the Saints' come-from-behind win over the Tennessee Titans on Sunday. Estime rushed for 94 yards on just 14 carries (6.7 yards per attempt), both career highs, and his 32-yard touchdown run was the Saints' longest rush by a running back since Alvin Kamara's 40-yard score on Christmas Day 2020.
Audric Estime's first TD as a Saint is electric 🔥
— New Orleans Saints (@Saints) December 28, 2025
📺: CBS pic.twitter.com/WKndwcriyQ
Why this performance could change things for the former Notre Dame star
Needless to say, New Orleans has been missing a home run hitter at the running back position for quite a while.
That 32-yard run was a thing of beauty. Estime crashed into the line, first looking like he might be stopped for no gain, but managed to break through. He then avoided another tackle, bouncing off it like it was nothing, before outrunning the rest of the defense for the score.
With just one game to go in the 2025 season for the Saints, the former Notre Dame star doesn't have many more shots to prove he belongs in the NFL. However, his big game on Sunday should at least earn Audric Estime a long look from New Orleans as it preps for the 2026 season and continues a rebuild for a team that is finishing the year red-hot.