The Saints will be without one of their key defensive players at the start of the regular season.
According to Nick Underhill of neworleans.football, defensive tackle Khalen Saunders is expected to miss a couple of weeks due to a calf injury.
This could impact how the Saints put together their initial 53-man roster. If Saunders is expected to return in just two weeks, New Orleans might prefer not to place him on injured reserve, as that would keep him out for four games.
The team might decide to add more depth to their defensive line instead.
Saunders started all 17 games for New Orleans in 2023, making 57 tackles, one tackle for loss, and one pass defense. He played in 47 percent of the team’s defensive snaps.
A third-round pick by the Chiefs in 2019, Saunders signed a three-year contract with New Orleans in March of last year.
Teams must cut their rosters down to 53 players by 4 p.m. ET on Tuesday.
