are turning to a familiar face to fill a recently-opened hole on the roster.
The team signed linebacker Michael Mauti on Tuesday, according to a tweet from his agent Mike McCartney. Adding Mauti gives the Saints another veteran special teams player after fellow linebacker Nate Stupar suffered a season-ending knee injury in Sunday's win over the Detroit Lions.
Mauti, 27, was with the Saints from 2015-16, but his season ended early in 2016 as he chose to undergo surgery related to ulcerative colitis. After three surgeries and months of recovery, Mauti impressed the Saints in a July tryout that earned him a deal right before training camp.