After suffering a pectoral injury while lifting weights earlier in June, Saints pass rusher Junior Galette won’t require surgery to repair the damage, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. We heard nearly two weeks ago that Galette was considering going under the knife, but after consulting with multiple experts, including Dr. James Andrews, he and the team have determined that won’t be necessary.
Galette, who turned 27 in March, will attempt to recover with rest and rehab rather than surgery, and will aim to be ready for New Orleans’ regular season opener, per Rapoport. While the veteran pass rusher figures to start training camp on the club’s PUP list, he should ultimately be fine, a source tells the NFL.com scribe.
Having transfered some resources from the offensive side of the ball to the defense this offseason, the Saints will be counting on their D to play better in 2015 than it did in 2014, and Galette is a key player on the unit. The edge rusher has recorded 22 sacks and four forced fumbles over the past two seasons, and signed a $41.5MM extension back in September.
Galette’s recovery and his performance in 2015 could play a large part in his future in New Orleans. All of the fully guaranteed money on his new deal has already been paid, but his base salary for 2016 ($5MM) becomes fully guaranteed if he’s still on the roster on the third day of the 2016 league year. Given the significant amount of prorated bonus money on his contract through 2019, Galette looks like a good bet to stick with the Saints for at least a couple more years, barring a disaster on or off the field.