The New Orleans Saints are heading into a crucial NFC South showdown in Tampa Bay without several key contributors - and the injury list is starting to feel like a who's who of their core starters.
Alvin Kamara is officially out, sidelined for the second straight week with a knee injury he suffered early against Atlanta. He hasn’t practiced since tweaking the knee in the first quarter of that game, and now the Saints will once again lean on rookie Devin Neal to carry the load in the backfield.
Neal got the bulk of the work last week against Miami, finishing with 47 yards on 14 carries. It wasn’t flashy, but the rookie ran hard and showed flashes of the vision and burst that made him a draft-day steal.
Also ruled out: rookie offensive tackle Taliese Fuaga and veteran safety Justin Reid. Both are dealing with injuries that kept them off the practice field all week - Fuaga with an ankle issue, Reid with a knee injury suffered on the very first play against the Dolphins.
For Fuaga, this is his fourth missed game of the season, and the second time injuries have forced him to the sideline for multiple stretches. After starting the year playing nearly every offensive snap, the Saints’ first-round pick has battled through knee and back issues earlier in the year, and now a different ankle injury is keeping him out again. His absence is a blow to a Saints offensive line that’s already been shuffled more than they’d like.
As for Reid, his veteran presence in the secondary will be missed. He went down on the opening snap in Miami and hasn’t returned to practice since.
The Saints will likely turn to their young depth on the back end - and that includes rookie safety Jonas Sanker, who popped up with a head injury late in the week but was a full participant in Friday’s practice. That’s a good sign he’ll be ready to go on Sunday.
There’s also some uncertainty around Chris Olave, who’s officially listed as questionable with a back injury. He sat out Wednesday’s practice but returned on Thursday and Friday, which is encouraging.
Last week, despite carrying the same “questionable” tag, Olave suited up and played nearly 90% of the Saints’ offensive snaps. If he’s active again this week, expect him to play a similar role - and the Saints will need every bit of his route-running and playmaking ability to stretch a tough Bucs defense.
Bottom line: New Orleans is banged up at some key spots heading into this divisional matchup. With Kamara out, Fuaga sidelined, and Reid unavailable, the Saints will need their young players to step up - and they’ll need Olave as close to 100% as possible. The NFC South is still very much in play, but the margin for error is shrinking.