Patriots’ Bill Belichick Has Utmost Respect From This Saints Star

FOXBORO -- Bill Belichick is no stranger to praising an opponent ahead of Patriots games. But New England's head coach dropped a notable nugget Wednesday morning ahead of a Week 5 matchup against Cameron Jordan and the New Orleans Saints.

"Jordan is one of the players I have the most respect for in the league," Belichick said in reference to the veteran defensive tackle.

"He's been a great player for a long time, very durable, whatever it was -- 177 straight games he played. This guy shows up every week and plays well, run, pass, situational football, really smart player. This guy's a great player."

Jordan has spent the last 13 seasons in New Orleans. The 34-year-old is an eight-time Pro Bowler and was named a First Team All-Pro in 2017. A first-round pick in 2011, Jordan also was selected to the 2010s Hall of Fame team.

"His consistency, his durability, his play after play production," Belichick said of Jordan, who's played in 196 career games.

Belichick and Jordan have not crossed paths too much, the Patriots head coach confirmed. New England is 2-1 in three contests against Jordan.

The fourth of such matchups is scheduled for Sunday at Gillette Stadium. New England is a modest 1-point home favorite entering the 1 p.m. ET kick off, according to consensus data on NESNBets.com.