Player Bio
| HT/WT: 6-6, 263 lbs |
| Birthplace: Henderson, NV |
| Age: 23 |
| School: UCLA |
| Experience: 2 |
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Top Moliki Matavao News
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Saints' Moliki Matavao: Moved to IR
The Saints placed Matavao (knee) on injured reserve Tuesday, Mike Triplett of NewOrleans.Football reports.
Matavao sustained a knee injury during Saturday's 34-0 preseason loss to the Rams. The tight end's placement on IR means he will miss the entirety of the 2026 regular season unless he is waived with an injury settlement. Matavao logged three catches for 34 yards in Saturday's game and seemed to have a good chance to make the 53-man roster.
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Saints' Moliki Matavao: Sustains knee injury
Matavao was diagnosed with a knee injury following the Saints' 34-0 preseason loss to the Rams on Saturday, Matthew Paras of The New Orleans Times-Picayune reports.
It's unclear when Matavao tweaked his knee, but he'll undergo more tests over the coming days to determine the severity of the injury and whether he'll be available for the Saints' preseason finale against the Cowboys on Friday. The 2025 seventh-rounder finished Saturday's game with three catches on as many targets for 34 yards.
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Saints' Moliki Matavao: Logs two catches in 2025
Matavao finished the 2025 season with two receptions (on two targets) for 10 yards in six appearances for the Saints.
Matavao opened his 2025 rookie season in a special-teams role before he was let go and joined the Saints' practice squad. The seventh-rounder spent time on and off the active roster toward the end of the season, as New Orleans dealt with a rash of injuries, including season-ending injuries for tight ends Foster Moreau (ankle) and Jack Stoll (knee). Matavao will look to carve out a larger role in 2026.
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Saints' Moliki Matavao: Notches first two NFL receptions
Matavao played 27 of the Saints' 54 snaps on offense and recorded two catches for 10 yards in Sunday's 34-26 win over the Titans.
After being signed off the practice squad prior to the Week 17 contest, Matavao ended up ranking second among Saints tight ends in playing time, with Jack Stoll's (knee) early exit opening up more snaps behind top option Juwan Johnson. Matavao took advantage of the added snaps by producing his first two NFL receptions, but the rookie seventh-round pick will remain far off the fantasy radar Week 18 at Atlanta so long as Johnson is available for the Saints.
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Saints' Moliki Matavao: Signed to Saints' active roster
The Saints signed Matavao from the practice squad to the active roster Friday.
The move corresponds with the Saints placing fellow tight end Foster Moreau (ankle) on injured reserve. Matavao was selected by the Saints in the seventh round of the 2025 NFL Draft, but the UCLA product has bounced back and forth between the practice squad and the active roster. He figures to be the Saints' TE4 behind Juwan Johnson, Taysom Hill and Jack Stoll over the final two games of the regular season.
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Moliki Matavao: Back to practice squad
Matavao reverted to the Saints' practice squad Monday, per the NFL's transaction log.
Matavao logged 21 offensive snaps in Sunday's win over the Jets but played behind all four of Juwan Johnson, Taysom Hill, Foster Moreau (ankle) and Jack Stoll. Matavao didn't draw a single target against New York.
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Saints' Moliki Matavao: Elevated for Week 16
The Saints have elevated Matavao from the practice squad to the active roster for Sunday's game against the Jets.
Matavao, a rookie seventh-round pick, will get a chance to contribute in a depth capacity at tight end during Sunday's home game against New York. After Sunday's matchup, Matavao will revert to the practice squad for New Orleans.
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Moliki Matavao: Signs with practice squad
The Saints signed Matavao to the practice squad Tuesday.
Matavao was a seventh-round pick by the Saints back in April's NFL Draft and has bounced between the practice squad and active roster for much of the first five weeks of the season.
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Moliki Matavao: Cut by New Orleans
The Saints waived Matavao on Saturday.
New Orleans selected Matavao in the seventh round of the 2025 Draft, and he's appeared in three games this season. However, he's seen just 12 snaps on special teams.
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Saints' Moliki Matavao: Returning to New Orleans
The Saints signed Matavao to the active roster Tuesday, Mike Triplett of NewOrleans.Football reports.
The rookie seventh-rounder saw sparse playing time through the first two games of the regular season before being waived by the Saints on Saturday. Now that he's back in New Orleans, Matavao will serve as the TE3 behind Juwan Johnson and Jack Stoll.
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Moliki Matavao: Let go by Saints
Matavao was waived by the Saints on Saturday.
Matavao was selected by the Saints in the seventh round of the 2025 NFL Draft, and he was originally able to crack the team's roster. He played a few snaps on special teams in Weeks 1 and 2, but he'll now be seeking a new opportunity around the league.
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Saints' Moliki Matavao: Big TE goes to Saints
The Saints selected Matavao in the seventh round of the 2025 NFL Draft, 248th overall.
Matavao transferred out of Oregon after landing behind Terrance Ferguson, who was selected by the Rams in the second round of this year's draft. Matavao, a Nevada native, landed at UCLA and started the final two seasons, finishing as the team's top receiver in 2024. The 6-foot-5, 260-pound tight end ran a 4.81 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine, which is below average for tight ends but is respectable for his size. His run-blocking ability will likely get him on the field sooner than his receiving ability, but he's hard to take down with the ball in his hands.
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