Alontae Taylor didn't practice on Tuesday, and Kellen Moore announced New Orleans Saints cornerback is dealing with a groin injury. Taylor was a part of many injury updates on Wednesday and was the most notable alongside Trevor Penning.
The injury list is beginning to grow after the preseason opener. Moore told media, "Mason Pline, Will Clapp will be season injuries. Bub Means will be out a little while with an ankle. The other guys that are going through their process: Trevor Penning and Alontae Taylor, they will be out a little while as they come back from an injury. And then we had a couple of guys, J.T. Gray and Devin Neal, they'll be a little bit longer just with their recovery process."
Taylor didn't play against the Chargers. His injury was suffered in Friday's scrimmage before the game. His exact timeline is uncertain.
Saints may already have a plan for Alontae Taylor's absence
Moore said Taylor will be out for "a little while." That's not necessarily a medical diagnosis, so it makes you wonder about the cornerback's availability for the season opener. Penning was given the same soft timeline, and NewOrleans.Football's Nick Underhill reported he's dealing with a turf toe that typically takes 4-6 weeks to return. That would put Penning in position to miss the first week.
Taylor is dealing with a groin, not a turf toe, but that just goes to show you we're close enough to the season where "a little while" can bleed into Week 1. If Taylor does have to miss some time, the Saints will likely call on Isaac Yiadom and Quincy Riley.
For the entirety of the offseason, it's been Yiadom or Riley. That was the competition to see who would start opposite of Kool-Aid McKinstry. In Taylor's absence, you'd likely call on one of them to take his spot.
Riley feels like the most likely candidate to fill in for Taylor. He has experience inside and outside. It would give the rookie an immediate path to the field, and lets Yiadom stay on the outside where he was successful in his first stint for New Orleans.
You can never have too many good corners, and this is the reason. Hopefully, Taylor doesn't have to miss any time. The Saints have a solution if he does, however.