It's been a busy week for the New Orleans Saints, who came off their Week 2 road win over the Baltimore Ravens with a major injury to starting left tackle Kelvin Banks Jr. Banks is going on injured reserve after undergoing ankle surgery. At the same time, running back Audric Estime was waived from injured reserve with an injury settlement. There's no need for a corresponding move (the NFL does not limit how many players teams keep on injured reserve) but it is in the team's interest to release injured players with settlements. That lightens the workload for their medical staff and can save a little cap space by paying a portion of salary rather than the full amount owed. Teams offer a lump sum equal to how many weeks the player would miss due
to injury, and the player gets a chance to sign with a new team once healthy.
So where does that this leave the Saints' injured reserve list? There are a couple of different statuses to be aware of. Some players are out for the year. Others are eligible to return. A few are already on their way back. Here's the full list:
Season-ending injured reserve
- DT Bryan Bresee
- OL Dillon Radunz
- RB Ty Chandler
- CB Rejzohn Wright
- TE Moliki Matavao
- CB David Long Jr.
None of these players are able to return this year, having gone down with season-ending injuries during training camp or the preseason. They're recovering with assistance from team medical staff and can rehab at the practice facility in Metairie rather than do so on their own dime. Estime, his fellow running back Devin Neal, and rookie edge rusher Michael Heldman (who signed with the Kansas City Chiefs practice squad) have all been released with injury settlements.
Eligible to return from injured reserve
- S Lorenzo Styles Jr. (after Week 4)
- LS Zach Wood (after Week 5)
- LT Kelvin Banks Jr. (after Week 6)
All three of these players are able to return later this year, but only after sitting out at least four games. Styles is expected back sooner than Wood (expected to miss a month or more) or Banks (not expected back until December at the soonest). But they haven't been designated to return just yet. The option is just on the table once they are healthy.
Designated to return from injured reserve
- WR Jordyn Tyson (after Week 4)
- LB Jaylan Ford (after Week 4)
Tyson and Ford were both placed on injured reserve during roster cuts and designated to return after sitting out at least four games, but we're waiting to see when they'll have the green light to get back on the field. Tyson had the worse prognosis (he was said to face a recovery running into late October) but it's encouraging to see him traveling for a road game with the Baltimore Ravens to support his teammates from the sideline.
This article originally appeared on Saints Wire: Saints update injured reserve in Kelvin Banks Jr., Audric Estime moves
