New Orleans — Over 12 years in the National Football League, Bruce Irvin has never felt like he’s gotten the respect he deserves.

Maybe now, if he continues the quality he showed during his season debut for the Detroit Lions in Sunday’s 33-28 road win over the New Orleans Saints, that’ll finally change.

Irvin sacked Saints quarterback Derek Carr in the first quarter at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans and nearly got another later in the game.

At the ripe age of 36, Irvin is on a mission to “continue to play like I’m 25.”

I came in this league with a chip on my shoulder and I always felt like, with my 12 years, I never got the respect that I was due,” Irvin told reporters postgame.

“So to me, I just have to keep proving it, keep proving it. Every opportunity I get, I’m going to keep proving them wrong, but proving myself right. So, it’s just something in me, man.

It’s just (keeping) that edge; it made me work harder and continue to push forward.

Irvin was the one intriguing defensive addition for Detroit around the NFL’s trade deadline. Rather than give up capital to go get somebody, they simply signed Irvin off the street.

But there was no telling what, exactly, the Lions would be getting — if anything at all.

He’d played for five different teams in the last four seasons and hadn’t been all that productive since the 2019 season, when he tallied 8.5 sacks for the Carolina Panthers.

Lions head coach Dan Campbell said his performance Sunday was confirmation “there’s something there.”

“He was able to pressure the quarterback. He was able to get an edge a couple of times,” Campbell said.

“He’s got something, you know? He’s been working and he’s gotten in better shape over the last three weeks, so I’m anxious to watch the whole thing.”

Irvin nearly got another sack during a critical third-and-17 in the fourth quarter.

He forced an errant throw from Carr to end the drive, but the way he landed on the quarterback while taking him to the ground drew a roughing-the-passer penalty, helping turn the possession into a scoring drive.

But the hit may have altered the result from then on, as Carr was knocked out of the game under concussion protocol and potential back/shoulder injuries.

Carr had settled into a groove in the second half and was a perfect 10-for-10 for 142 yards and a touchdown.

He threw just one incompletion after the first quarter. On in relief, Saints backup quarterback Jameis Winston was 2-of-5 passing for 41 yards, including a 30-yard prayer to Chris Olave that should have been intercepted but was instead tipped right to the Saints receiver, inside the 5-yard line.

“I’m gonna get a nice FedEx (league fine) in the mail,” Irvin said of the penalty.

Perhaps nobody was more impressed by Irvin’s debut than his teammate, third-year Lions defensive tackle and 23-year-old Alim McNeill.

He was asked about what Irvin — who has 10 years of experience on McNeill — adds to the Lions offense.

“That’s what he added,” McNeill said. “10 years of experience.”

McNeill continued, “He looked like a master out there. Got the sack and then that hit (on Carr), so Bruce looks like Bruce Irvin still.

You wouldn’t think he was that old, honestly. You would think Bruce just came into the league, the way he moves.”