The New Orleans Saints are no stranger to injuries, but so far this season, the franchise has fared well compared to other teams across the league.
According to Locked On Saints podcast host and sports journalist Ross Jackson, five players were not seen during the open portion of the Black and Gold's practice on Wednesday, with the majority expected to have standout roles this year.
Among those were safety Julian Blackmon, defensive end Chase Young, and left guard Trevor Penning. It included quarterback Hunter Dekkers, who has since been waived and linebacker Garrett Nelson.
Right tackle Taliese Fuaga was the one to watch after being spotted on the sideline, not in uniform, on an exercise bike.
Encouraging for the Saints, Fuaga was back participating on Thursday, as Jackson reported.
Blackmon suffered a torn labrum in the Saints' Week 1 loss to the Arizona Cardinals and is now set to undergo surgery, meaning his season is likely done. This is a big blow to a New Orleans secondary that struggled in the season-opener; Blackmon contributed seven total tackles, four of which were solo tackles, and a pass defended against the Cardinals. Rookie Jonas Sanker is looking to be next man up.
Young is another big name on the list of players who did not practice as of Thursday. According to the Saints' official injury report, the defensive end did not participate due to a nagging calf injury suffered during a practice last week. Young was expected to be a big contributor to the Black and Gold's defensive line this year after recording 21 solo tackles and 5.5 sacks during the 2024 season. His injury has not been deemed significant thus far, so there's a good chance he makes his season debut in the near future.
Penning started all 17 games for New Orleans last season and was expected to be a veteran leader on the line this year. He is still tending to a turf toe injury, and his timeline for return is still unclear.
Fortunately for Spencer Rattler, it appears that Taliese Fuaga is on the right track after not practicing Wednesday due to a lingering knee injury. As of Thursday, Fuaga was back participating, making him more likely to play this Sunday.
It makes a bit of sense as to why quarterback Hunter Dekkers was completely absent from Wednesday's practice, as he's no longer with the franchise. The signal-caller was brought back to New Orleans as a member of the practice squad on Tuesday after an incredibly turbulent few weeks in which he was waived and re-signed numerous times. Dekkers was waived once again on Wednesday, lasting just one day back on the team.
Of note, linebacker Garrett Nelson was not listed on the Saints' official injury report despite not being seen at practice Wednesday. This means that there's a good chance that the practice squad player was waived, although this has not been confirmed.
The one thing to monitor might be long snapper, as most team's don't carry a backup on the roster.
But as of Thursday, things at least are looking up for Fuaga, while the status of Young and Penning remains unknown.