Connor McGovern opens up about his whirlwind journey to the Saints | Saints

Before he got the call that the New Orleans Saints would be signing him to the active roster, Connor McGovern's bags were already packed.

McGovern thought he would travel to London as a member of the New York Jets' practice squad for Sunday's international game against the Minnesota Vikings. The offensive lineman was still two hours away from boarding the team bus and heading to the airport. And when his phone rang, McGovern was putting on his traveling suit.

It turned out he had a lot more to bring with him.

“I had to run back, repack and exchange my plane ticket,” McGovern said. “It was definitely a hectic few hours there. I was trying to make the last flight from Newark to New Orleans and was struggling with some time, but I made it.”

McGovern's mad dash may not be over yet either. Days after signing with the Saints, the 31-year-old lineman could be used at center for Monday's game against the Kansas City Chiefs.

Shane Lemieux, the last starting center, was sidelined Saturday with an ankle injury. And possible replacement for Lemieux, Lucas Patrick, is questionable after suffering a groin injury in training that caused him to miss the last two games. The Saints were also already short-handed at center as Erik McCoy recovered from groin surgery.

McGovern has to get up to speed quickly, but he's up to the task. One of the reasons the Saints turned to McGovern is his familiarity with the team's coaching staff. Saints offensive line coach John Benton worked with McGovern in New York, while offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak and offensive assistant Rick Dennison were part of a Denver Broncos regime that drafted McGovern out of Missouri in 2017.

McGovern walks – or in this case sprints – to a place where he already knows the offense.

“I probably went through the whole gamut of emotions, the most being excitement,” McGovern said.

Months earlier, McGovern had considered retiring from football. Last season, the former fourth-rounder dislocated his left kneecap – his second serious knee injury in a year. But McGovern rehabbed the injury to see how his knee would respond, and once it felt better, he was encouraged to keep playing.

McGovern said the Saints initially expressed interest during that time to see if he was in shape. Although they didn't sign him, New Orleans kept an eye on him in case injuries occurred. Meanwhile, McGovern returned to the Jets – this time as a member of their practice squad.

But the practice squad players have the right to sign elsewhere and bring McGovern to the Saints.

“I know Connor very well,” Kubiak said. “He played a lot of football in this league. He is very familiar with our style, our scheme, our expression. So if he gets a chance, I think he’ll do a great job.”

As McGovern boarded the plane to New Orleans, he said he finally had a moment to “think about everything” that had just happened. He took a breath.

“It definitely struck me … how special this opportunity is,” McGovern said, “and how lucky I am to be here.”