The New Orleans Saints have been on a six-game losing streak, and though they’ve been playing bad football, the team has been able to use the excuse of injuries to somewhat justify the slump. Now, with the team entering the second half of the year, almost needing to win out for a shot at the postseason, New Orleans is finally getting healthy.
Unfortunately, it’s still not all good news for the Saints. With the team releasing its first Week 9 injury report on Wednesday, fans were hit with some good and bad news.
Saints Week 9 injury report
Player (Position) | Injury | Wednesday’s practice status |
|---|---|---|
Shane Lemieux (OL) | Knee | Full practice |
Nephi Sewell (LB) | Knee | Full practice |
Derek Carr (QB) | Oblique | Limited practice |
Nick Saldiveri (OL) | Shoulder | Limited practice |
Kool-Aid McKinstry (CB) | Hamstring | Limited practice |
Jamaal Williams (RB) | Groin | Limited practice |
Alvin Kamara (RB) | Hand | Limited practice |
Juwan Johnson (TE) | Shoulder | Limited practice |
Marshon Lattimore (CB) | Hamstring | Did not practice |
Tyrann Mathieu (S) | Illness | Did not practice |
Bub Means (WR) | Ankle | Did not practice |
Kendre Miller (RB) | Hamstring | Did not practice |
Cedrick Wilson Jr. (WR) | Hip | Did not practice |
Rico Payton (CB) | Back | Did not practice |
The biggest takeaway is that Derek Carr has returned to practice. The veteran quarterback sustained an oblique injury in Week 5, and has been sidelined for three weeks. The team has been honest about him likely returning in Week 9, and with a limited practice on Wednesday, it seems like he’s on pace to do that.
Unfortunately, that’s one of the only positive developments. The players that didn’t practice on Wednesday stole the show, and it was six of them. The least concerning name is Tyrann Mathieu, who head coach Dennis Allen revealed missed practice because he was sick.
Both Marshon Lattimore and Kendre Miller, who left Sunday’s game with hamstring injuries, missed Wednesday’s practice. Lattimore has been dealing with a hamstring issue since the beginning of the year, but has only missed one game.
Miller, on the other hand, missed all of training camp and the first four games of the season with a hamstring injury. Now, his other hamstring is hurt, and this is just the latest injury in an unfortunate saga for the talented running back.
Rookie receiver Bub Means also missed practice with an ankle injury, and it’d really be bad for the Saints if he has to miss a lot of time, because the wide receiver room is already thin with Rashid Shaheed sidelined for the year.
With two more days of practice, and the game on Sunday, these players have time to heal up, but the Saints will still be a bit short handed against the Carolina Panthers.