Breaking down Saints’ final injury report for Week 7 at Seattle
The New Orleans Saints and Seattle Seahawks filed their final injury report for Week 7’s matchup on “Monday Night Football,” with four Saints players preemptively ruled out and a number of Seahawks questionable to play.
You can find the full injury report here, and here are some quick takeaways on every player listed (as well as a small crowd of Saints starters designated to return from injured reserve):
Out
Oct 10, 2021; Landover, Maryland, USA; New Orleans Saints wide receiver Taysom Hill (7) is helped onto a cart after being injured against the Washington Football Team during the second quarter at FedExField. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
WR Deonte Harris. Harris exited Week 5’s win over Washington after just a few plays, but his hamstring injury didn’t improve over the bye week and he’s still unavailable.
QB Taysom Hill. Hill took a hit to the helmet in Week 5 and entered the NFL concussion protocol. He’s also still sidelined. Hopefully he isn’t experiencing serious issues from that brain injury, but it’s discouraging that he can’t play two weeks after being hurt.
RB Dwayne Washington. Washington was shaken up blocking an opponent on a punt and his condition also didn’t improve over the bye week. He could go to injured reserve after the Saints signed Lamar Miller to the practice squad.
DE Payton Turner. Turner practiced fully on Thursday but missed Friday and Saturday’s sessions with a sudden calf injury. It’s unclear how he was injured or how long he’ll be out of action.
WR Chris Hogan. Hogan chose to retire from the NFL for good this week, with the Saints making the move official on Saturday — just before his 34th birthday on Sunday.
Available
Jul 31, 2021; Metairie, LA, USA; New Orleans Saints tackle Terron Armstead (72) looks on during a New Orleans Saints training camp session at the New Orleans Saints Training Facility. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports
LT Terron Armstead. Armstead practiced on a limited basis this week but he was given the green light to play Monday night. James Hurst has played well in his absence with an elbow injury, but there’s no substituting Armstead.
C Erik McCoy. McCoy finally returned to practice after a calf injury knocked him out minutes into Week 1’s game with the Packers. And his arrival should do a lot to improve the overall line play by easing communication from the pivot point.
P Blake Gillikin. Gillikin missed Friday’s practice session with an unspecified illness but returned to work on Saturday as a full participant, so he’s all-clear.
DT Malcolm Roach. Like Gillikin, Roach was out Thursday with an illness but he practiced fully on Friday and Saturday.
CB Marshon Lattimore. Lattimore has continued to receive treatment on his surgically-repaired thumb but he’s been a full participant in practice for weeks.
Injured reserve/PUP list
New Orleans Saints place kicker Wil Lutz (3) kicks a field goal as punter Blake Gillikin (4) holds the ball during NFL football training camp in Metairie, La., Friday, Aug. 21, 2020. (David Grunfeld/The Advocate via AP, Pool)
K Wil Lutz. The Pro Bowl kicker was designated to return from I.R. last Monday but he may need another week of practice before being cleared. The Saints are set to play on a wet field in front of a hostile crowd, and with Brian Johnson on the roster they could keep Lutz in reserve for now.
WR Tre’Quan Smith. Smith should play if he’s healthy. He’s the most-accomplished receiver the Saints have, and with Deonte Harris sidelined the Saints need his experience on top of the depth chart. He’s been designated to return but he hasn’t been activated — yet.
DE Marcus Davenport. Like Smith, Davenport was optioned to return this week but he hasn’t been activated just yet. Rookie first round pick Payton Turner is out of action and Davenport would add a lot to the pass rush if healthy. He was the team’s best pass rusher in Week 1 until a pectoral muscle injury cut him down.
LB Kwon Alexander. Alexander has missed four games with an elbow injury, which was to be frustrating after he spent his offseason recovering from Achilles surgery. He can play if activated from injured reserve after being designated to return.
TE Nick Vannett. A preseason knee injury slowed Vannett down, but now he’s on his way back. We’ll see if he gets activated after being designated to return. He should provide better blocking on some assignments than Adam Trautman without cutting into Juwan Johnson’s targets.
CB Ken Crawley. Crawley was projected to start in Week 1 until a preseason hamstring injury took him out. Once he returns from injured reserve he’ll probably be fourth on the depth chart behind Marshon Lattimore, Paulson Adebo, and Bradley Roby.
LB Chase Hansen. Hansen was also designated to return this week after going to injured reserve with a groin issue in Week 2. Where he stands on the depth chart is unclear, but maybe he’ll be a special teams
RB Tony Jones Jr. Jones’ will be eligible to return from injured reserve soon after his Week 4 ankle injury, but he may need more time to fully recover.
WR Michael Thomas (PUP list). The superstar receiver still hasn’t returned to practice and remains on the physically unable to perform list after offseason ankle surgery.
Others (out for the year): DT Jalen Dalton, T Ethan Greenidge, TE Dylan Soehner.
Seattle injury report
Seattle didn’t rule out anyone, but four players are questionable to play on Monday night: running back Alex Collins, guard Damien Lewis, defensive end Darrell Taylor, and cornerback John Reid. But ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that Collins is expected to play despite missing two practices and participating on only a limited basis Saturday.
Among the Seahawks on injured reserve: quarterback Russell Wilson and running backs Rashaad Penny and Chris Carson are the biggest names, along with rookie wide receiver D’Wayne Eskridge, Seattle’s top pick in the 2021 draft.
1
1
