Few teams needed the bye week as badly as the New Orleans Saints did. Fresh off an embarrassing loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers in Paris, the black and gold are returning home worse for the wear. They have several starters working their way back from injured reserve and other key players dealing with injuries of their own.
While it's unlikely we get any big updates during the bye week (what with players not practicing; last year, the team only held virtual meetings and didn't even work at the facility during the break), here are five situations we'll be monitoring in the days ahead.
WR Jordyn Tyson (hamstring)
This is obviously the big one. The hope was that Tyson could play as soon as the Steelers game in Paris, and while he did travel with the team -- as he has for every
road game this season -- he didn't get the green light. Instead, all we saw were some catches during warmups. It's vital that the team's first-round draft pick make an impact in his rookie year. Some outlets and even a few fans have already written the pick off as a failure. The more time Tyson misses, the harder it gets to argue against that. Even if they weren't related injuries it's disappointing to see a player who dealt with hamstring issues in college lose so much time during his rookie season to more hamstring challenges.
RB Travis Etienne Jr. (hamstring)
Etienne is also managing a hamstring injury, and he's eligible to return as soon as the Saints get back on the practice field after the bye. The question is whether or not he'll be ready. We've seen New Orleans take a patient approach with Tyson, and it's likely they'll do the same for Etienne. He's the best athlete in their backfield and they signed him with intentions of spearheading the run game. What's frustrating is that the rushing attack struggled with and without him. Hopefully Etienne can return soon and make a positive impact in the second half of the season.
RG Cesar Ruiz (knee)
Ruiz practiced on a limited basis late last week but couldn't dress out for the game in Paris, so his arrow seems to be trending up. Like it or not, the Saints need him. Rookie fourth-round pick Jeremiah Wright hasn't been up to replacing the veteran starter. He was outmatched physically by Steelers vet Keeanu Benton and has been a weak link in pass protection, yielding three pressures, a sack, and a penalty on 55 snaps through two games. Ruiz has given up four pressures, no sacks, and two penalties (one offsetting) through 261 snaps this season. The Saints haven't been able to run behind him either. That doesn't mean Wright won't or can't develop into a quality starter, but he's got a long ways to go.
S Justin Reid (concussion)
Reid couldn't finish the Steelers game after entering the NFL's concussion protocol, but the bye week does give him more time to recover. We'll see if it makes a difference when the Saints get back on the practice field next week. These brain injuries are difficult to diagnose and return from. Every situation is different; we've seen players get cleared in time for their next game or miss most of a month (like Taysom Hill did in 2021) after a scary hit. Let's hope Reid is resting up and getting well.
RB CJ Donaldson (shoulder)
Donaldson outsnapped Kendre Miller 4-to-1 on the team's first drive (Alvin Kamara was on the field six times) before exiting with a shoulder injury. It's unclear if it was the same shoulder that limited him at practice during the week, but he did upgrade to full reps before the game. Whether or not he aggravated that shoulder injury remains to be seen but it's a reasonable conclusion.
Who else can return from injured reserve?
The Saints have already used four of their eight allotted return slots, so only four more players can come back from injured reserve during the regular season (if they manage to reach the playoffs, they'll get two more return slots). They already reactivated linebacker Jaylan Ford, defensive back Lorenzo Styles Jr., and long snapper Zach Wood, with Tyson designated to return once he's able. That leaves the only players eligible to return from injured reserve as Etienne and left tackle Kelvin Banks Jr. Assuming they both get the designated-to-return tag, that leaves New Orleans with just two more return slots for the rest of the season.
As for the rest of the group on injured reserve? They have each been ruled out for the year: defensive lineman Bryan Bresee, offensive lineman Dillon Radunz, tight end Moliki Matavao, and running back Ty Chandler, as well as cornerbacks Rejzohn Wright and David Long Jr.
This article originally appeared on Saints Wire: 5 injuries to monitor during the New Orleans Saints' bye week
