At his press conference on Friday, New Orleans Saints head coach Kellen Moore went ahead and said that two players are already ruled out for Sunday against the Arizona Cardinals: guard Trevor Penning and defensive end Chase Young.
For Young, he's suffering from a calf injury that he sustained during Wednesday's practice. Initially described as "a little thing" by Moore, the belief is that it won't affect him long-term. "He's doing everything he can to come back," The first-year head coach said to the media on Friday.
Young himself implied the same thing on Thursday, giving a loud and definitive "no" that could be heard from across the locker room when asked if he knew if he'd be out for a long while.
Saints losing Chase Young vs. Cardinals is a temporary but tough blow
With Young being absent for the game against the Arizona Cardinals, that means the Saints are already a man down on the defense. Veteran Cam Jordan (the Saints' franchise sack leader with 121.5) could see more action than initially expected with Young out.
The fact Young won't be out long-term is a silver lining of sorts. All preseason buzz suggests Young is in line for a bigger season. Last year, Young ranked sixth in the NFL in quarterback pressures. However, he only managed to sack the QB 5.5 times. He'll be looking to turn those pressures to sacks.
The former second-overall pick is looking forward to the 2025 season. "Playing those wide nines, really setting the edge, It's going to be fun. They're giving us the ability to fly." He said back in July. Additionally, he says it's similar to the kind of defense he had while in Washington his rookie year, when he won the defensive rookie of the year award. "That's why we're all excited about this defense." Along with winning DROTY in 2020, he was also named to the pro bowl that same season.
To even out the roster, New Orleans could also make some practice squad elevations, specifically calling up defensive end Fadil Diggs from the practice squad, who was a seventh-round draft pick in 2025 and a star of training camp and the preseason.