Saints TE Juwan Johnson set to undergo a surgery that will sideline him for a while

When teams gather for offseason practices during OTAs and minicamp, the one thing they hope to avoid is injuries. Unfortunately, the New Orleans Saints haven’t been able to do that this offseason. Just recently, Nick Underhill reported that Saints tight end Juwan Johnson is dealing with a lower leg injury that is expected to keep him out for a good amount of time.

NFL insider Adam Schefter provided a little more specifics on the injury, reporting that Johnson is actually scheduled to undergo foot surgery. The good news, though, is that Underhill hasn’t heard anything about the injury possibly causing Johnson to miss time during the season, and Schefter echoed that sentiment, saying the hope and belief is that Johnson will be back by the start of the season. It would certainly be great for the Saints if he’s back in time for the regular season.

Juwan Johnson scheduled to undergo foot surgery

Juwan Johnson has been the top tight end in New Orleans the last two seasons. In 2022, he played in 16 games, catching 42 passes for 508 yards and seven touchdowns. In 2023, those numbers dropped a bit to 37 receptions for 368 yards and four touchdowns.

Now, entering his fifth season in the league, all with the Saints, Johnson was expected to lead what is believed to be an improved tight end room. The unit still has Taysom Hill, who is apart of multiple groups, and they also added rookie Dallin Holker, who like Johnson, is undrafted. However, despite not being selected in the 2024 NFL Draft, New Orleans has high expectations for Holker; that was evident by the contract they offered him as an undrafted free agent.

Holker, along with the rest of the tight ends will have the opportunity for an increased role in training camp if Johnson is not ready to roll in late July. If he’s back in time for the start of the season, the Saints could have multiple tight ends that they can lean on.

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