The New Orleans Saints walked away with a win in Tampa Bay, but they didn’t come out of that game unscathed. The offensive line, already stretched thin, took another hit when backup right tackle Asim Richards left the game with an ankle injury.
Initially listed as questionable after being evaluated in the blue tent, Richards never made it back onto the field. On Monday, head coach Kellen Moore confirmed the concern: Richards is dealing with a high ankle sprain and may miss some time.
That’s a tough blow for a unit that’s been under siege all season. Richards had stepped in for Taliese Fuaga and logged 40 snaps before going down.
With Richards sidelined, the Saints turned to William Sherman, who had just been elevated from the practice squad to the active roster the week prior. Sherman closed out the final 17 offensive snaps at right tackle - a tall task for someone still getting his feet under him at the NFL level.
Fuaga, the rookie first-rounder, has been fighting through a laundry list of injuries himself. It started in September with knee tendon inflammation and a back issue.
Then came a high ankle sprain in November. And just when it seemed like he might be turning a corner, he suffered another ankle injury in early December after getting rolled up on.
It’s been a rough initiation into the league for the talented tackle, and the Saints have had to rely heavily on their depth - or what’s left of it.
The offensive line’s durability issues have been a storyline since Week 1. Back then, the Saints rolled out a rotation that included Kelvin Banks Jr., Dillon Radunz, Erik McCoy, Cesar Ruiz, Fuaga, and Richards, with Trevor Penning still recovering.
Fast forward to Week 14, and only Banks, Radunz, and Ruiz were able to finish the game. And among that trio, Banks is the lone player performing at a level you’d confidently label as starting-caliber.
What makes this even more frustrating for New Orleans is that this isn’t a case of neglecting the position. Quite the opposite.
The Saints have invested heavily in their offensive line - all five projected Week 1 starters were top-50 draft picks. Ruiz, the lowest drafted of the group, was still a second-rounder at No. 48 overall.
McCoy and Ruiz both received contract extensions with significant money attached. They’ve traded for depth, like Richards and Luke Fortner, and they made a point to reunite Moore with offensive line coach Brendan Nugent, who he worked with previously in Los Angeles.
On paper, this group should be a strength. On the field, it’s been a revolving door.
The silver lining? They still found a way to win in Tampa.
Rookie quarterback Tyler Shough showed poise and playmaking ability, even while under pressure. But that’s not a formula you want to rely on week after week.
Shough has the tools, but he needs a stable pocket to truly develop - and right now, the Saints can’t guarantee that.
Looking ahead to this week’s matchup against the Carolina Panthers, the Saints may be down both Richards and Fuaga. If that happens, they’ll be asking a lot from Sherman and the rest of the line to hold it together. At this point, it’s not just about weathering the storm - it’s about finding a way to keep the ship afloat.