A.J. Klein Bids Farewell to Saints/Fans on Social Media

A former New Orleans Saints starting linebacker said his goodbyes to his former organization and its fans in a classy social media post.

A.J. Klein, who played for the Saints for the past three years, showed his appreciation for the Saints, and to Who Dat Nation, after agreeing to a free-agent deal with the Buffalo Bills on Monday

View this post on Instagram

Having to say farewell to New Orleans has been a bittersweet notion for my wife and I to realize. This city has built our family and we will forever carry it close to our hearts. We are so grateful to the entire @Saints organization for giving us the opportunity to be a part of this incredible family for the past 3 years. To the training staff, equipment staff, and coaches - thank you for all your hard work and dedication day in and day out. It’s been an absolute joy to show up and go to work with all of you everyday. To my teammates - It has been a pleasure and an honor. I will cherish the memories of our time together both on and off the field. Thank you for making me a better football player and man. To the Who Dats - Thank you for welcoming me and my family with so much love and supporting us along the way! YOU are the heartbeat of the @saints and the soul of this city! We love you!

A post shared by AJ Klein (@ajklein47) on Mar 18, 2020 at 5:21pm PDT

This is the kind of thing that lets you know that, while players do view the NFL as a business, they do feel a genuine attachment to certain cities that they may play in.

Klein signed a three-year deal with the Saints prior to the 2017 season, after playing the first four years of his career with the Carolina Panthers.

The 28-year old Klein started 43 games for the Saints over the past three seasons, including last season, when he appeared in 15 games, all as a starter, compiling 69 tackles, including 2.5 sacks, while also intercepting one pass.

In parts of seven NFL seasons, Klein has accumulated 339 tackles over 103 career games.