Justin Reid went down with an injury against the Miami Dolphins, and it appears the New Orleans Saints will be without Reid for at least another week. Kellen Moore didn't reveal much, but the update didn't feel optimistic.
Moore told media on Monday, "we’ll see how that progresses. Obviously, potential for some missed time there, but we’ll let it progress.” That doesn't mean Reid will miss a week of action, but Moore throwing the potential of it out there certainly creates the expectation of time away.
Possibly the biggest impact of Reid's injury is his role as a leader in the secondary. Leadership was a core trait for Reid before coming to New Orleans, and after Tyrann Mathieu suddenly retired, Reid became the unquestioned voice in the secondary. That role may be taken on by Jonas Sanker in the backend while Reid is out.
Saints secondary looks much different than they originally planned
That leadership role is something that can't be understated. If it is Sanker, it'll be putting a lot of pressure on the young player to make sure everyone in the backend completely understands their assignment. The biggest thing to watch is if the Buccaneers get explosive plays over the top. Taking the true veteran out of the secondary exposes the Saints to plays like that.
Reid's injury isn't the first in the secondary. It's not even the first at safety. Julian Blackmon suffered a season ending injury in the season opener. He was signed to be the original replacement for Mathieu before the Saints moved forward with Sanker.
This injury leaves Kool-Aid McKinstry and Alontae Taylor as the only preseason key contributors who is still healthy. The rookies who have stepped in have performed admirably. Sanker has made a seamless transition into the defensive backfield. Fans originally wanted more Quincy Riley because it meant less Isaac Yiadom. That was necessary for compensatory pick purposes. Since earning more playing time, fans want more of Riley because of what he's done on the field.
Reid will be replaced on the field by either Jordan Howden or Terrell Burgess. Howden was the immediate replacement, but he went back to primarily being a special teamer in the second half. Burgess has history with Brandon Staley, though that may not mean as much this deep in the season, and played the second half.
Burgess stepping in for Howden would suggest they weren't completely pleased with Howden's early performance. Burgess did have an impressive pass breakup where he was running stride for stride with the receiver before making a play on the ball. Burgess feels like the likely candidate, but there's always a chance the Saints use both Burgess and Howden while Reid is out.