Michael Mauti made his season debut on Sunday, and the New Orleans Saints immediately showed how much they trusted him.
Last year's special teams captain, Mauti returned to a key role Sunday as he was on the field for 20 special teams plays in a 26-17 win over the Green Bay Packers.
Sunday's game Mauti's first in nearly a year. His last game was on Nov. 6, 2016 before he decided to begin undergoing surgeries to cure his ulcerative colitis. After three surgeries and months of recovery, he impressed the Saints in a July workout to re-sign before training camp, but he didn't make the 53-man roster.