The New Orleans Saints are in the midst of a short week ahead of their Week 7 tilt with the Arizona Cardinals. This means that it's going to be a quick turnaround for the team after they suffered a disappointing loss to the Bengals on Sunday.
Two offensive players were dinged up over the last week and a half and the Saints could use both of them for this must-win Week 7 matchup.
The more well-known player is Chris Olave, who suffered a concussion in the Week 5 win over Seattle. Olave missed Week 6 but Dennis Allen said during his Monday morning press conference that "he's passed all the steps" and the next step is for him to be cleared.
Saints coach Dennis Allen on WR Chris Olave's status heading into a short week before Thursday's game at Arizona:
— Mike Triplett (@MikeTriplett) October 17, 2022
"My understanding is that he’s passed all the steps and he’s gotta be cleared by the independent neurologist."
Saints might have Olave back in Week 7 but what about Adam Trautman?
Adam Trautman is the other player who got dinged up recently. The tight end exited the game against the Bengals in what looked like a rough non-contact injury but he did re-enter the game later on.
According to Jeremy Fowler, however, Trautman is likely going to miss this week's game. He did note that while Trautman probably won't play this week, the Saints were fortunate to avoid something more serious to their tight end.
#Saints TE Adam Trautman will likely miss the Thursday night game against the #Cardinals due to an ankle injury, per source, though early signs are that he's avoided a serious issue. Could be back soon.
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) October 17, 2022
No, Trautman hasn't been a major factor for the Saints despite being a third-round pick but he does provide help as a blocker. He's been passed on the depth chart by Juwan Johnson, who had six targets and four receptions in the loss.
New Orleans could absolutely use Olave in this week's game against the Cardinals. The rookie out of Ohio State was doing crazy things for this offense in the first five games, not to mention the team is still expected to be without Jarvis Landry and Michael Thomas. If Olave misses a second straight game, it'll be the second game in which the team has been without all three of their starting receivers.
The Saints are 2-4 and injuries have played a factor in why this team isn't winning games but this is still absolutely a must-win game for the black and gold. 3-4 is far more manageable than 2-5.