Damascus High School alumnus Bryan Bresee is feared to have suffered a torn ACL during New Orleans Saints training camp, an injury that would likely end his 2026 season before it begins.
According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo, Bresee is believed to have sustained the injury during practice on Wednesday. While additional testing is ongoing, the former first-round pick is expected to miss the season.
The 2023 first-round draft pick has become a key piece of the Saints’ defensive line. Last season, Bresee started all 15 games he played and entered training camp expected to play a major role in New Orleans’ defense. Through his first three NFL seasons, he has recorded 14.5 sacks and 19 tackles for loss.
Bresee graduated from Damascus High School in 2019 before starring at Clemson University, where he earned second-team All-ACC honors. He was selected by the Saints with the 29th overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.
Standing 6-foot-5 and weighing 305 pounds, Bresee was the nation’s No. 1 high school recruit and made an immediate impact at Clemson, earning Freshman All-American honors and becoming just the second player in school history to be named ACC Defensive Rookie of the Year.
If the diagnosis is confirmed, it would be a significant setback for both Bresee and the Saints, who exercised his fifth-year contract option earlier this year and were counting on him to anchor the defensive front in 2026.
