On Sunday, the 2024 regular season will finally come to an end. For the New Orleans Saints, it’s a conclusion that fans have been looking forward to, because the season has been terrible. New Orleans enters the final week at 5-11, and the team has been embarrassed several times this season.
One reason why things were so bad in New Orleans this year is injuries. The Saints lost several key players to significant injuries all throughout the season, and that undoubtedly impacted the team’s performance. It’s only fitting that New Orleans will be without multiple key players in its final game of the season. That was made clear with the release of the inactive players for Sunday’s game.
Saints Week 18 inactives
Player | Position | Year |
|---|---|---|
Derek Carr | Quarterback | 11 |
Alvin Kamara | Running back | Eight |
Chris Olave | Wide receiver | Three |
Pete Werner | Linebacker | Four |
Wilie Gay | Linebacker | Five |
Kendre Miller | Running back | Two |
Mason Tipton | Wide receiver | Rookie |
Khristian Boyd | Defensive tackle | Rookie |
Key absences and their impact
Most of the key absences are guys who haven’t been on the field in recent weeks, but have been working hard to try and get back on the field before the season ended. That includes Derek Carr, who broke his non-throwing hand in Week 14. The veteran quarterback has worked hard in recent weeks to return, even going through simulated games to see if he could return. Ultimately, his hand wasn’t ready.
Alvin Kamara will also miss the regular-season finale, unable to overcome the groin injury he sustained in Week 15. This officially puts an end to one of the most productive seasons of his career, with him once again falling short of 1000 rushing yards.
Young wideout Chris Olave will also be held out this game. The third-year receiver has been on injured reserve since suffering a concussion back in Week 9. It was his second concussion of the season, so the team placed him on injured reserve. He was recently cleared, and has been practicing with the team, but with New Orleans’ season coming to an end on Sunday, the team figured it was best to keep him sidelined.
With so many key players out, ending the season with a win is going to be a hard task for New Orleans— especially since the team is playing a Bucs team that’s fighting to make the playoffs. Regardless of the outcome, this will be a great opportunity for young guys on the roster to get meaningful reps.