Saints’ season-opener on the road just got a whole lot more special for fans watching at home
The New Orleans Saints are not opening the 2026 season in the Superdome, but fans at home will get a nice treat watching the game on TV.
The New Orleans Saints are not opening the 2026 season in the Superdome, but fans at home will get a nice treat watching the game on TV.
Fox announced their Week 1 game broadcast crews Tuesday morning, revealing former Saints linebacker Jonathan Vilma will call the New Orleans’ Week 1 matchup at the Detroit Lions as the analyst alongside play-by-play announcer, Kenny Albert.
Kenny Albert, an original FOX NFL broadcaster (1994) and the network’s longest-tenured game announcer, embarks on his 33rd season in 2026, marking his seventh consecutive year with Super Bowl champion and Pro Bowl linebacker Jonathan Vilma, who arrived at FOX Sports in 2020. Veteran reporter Megan Olivi is back with the duo for her third full NFL season. The crew heads to Detroit in Week 1 for the New Orleans Saints at Detroit Lions at 1:00 PM ET.
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Official Release
Jonathan Vilma’s legacy with the Saints
Vilma was originally a first-round pick of the New York Jets back in 2004. He was named defensive rookie of the year that season, and followed it up by making his first ever pro bowl in 2005.
New York traded Vilma to New Orleans in 2008. The exchange initially cost the Saints a fourth-round pick, and the additional conditional pick as part of the deal ended up being a third rounder, but it was more than worth it for what they got.
Vilma started 16 games for the Saints in his first season. A year later, he made a second of Pro Bowl after logging career-highs in tackles for loss (10), passes defensed (eight), and interceptions (three, tying his ’05 mark) while also racking up 110 total tackles and two sacks.
New Orleans, of course, won the Super Bowl that season with Vilma leading the charge on defense. He was just as good in 2010 making his third and final Pro Bowl of his career at the age of 28.
Vilma played three more years for the Saints, ending up with six seasons in NOLA before retiring following the 2013 season.
Legend calling the game
Vilma’s second chapter has been on TV. He got his start in the industry at ABC ESPN serving as an on-screen analyst and color commentator for various college football programs. He also spent some time at NBC and NBCSN covering Notre Dame football.
Vilma’s lead to the NFL occurred in 2020 and he’s called over 100 games since. This is the seventh season he will be alongside Albert in the booth and it will all begin with him calling his former team’s season opener.
It will be a cool experience for Saints fans to listen to one of their former great players while the team is away to start the year. Hopefully he gets to call a win for Who Dat Nation.
