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New Orleans Saints News & Rumors

Saints’ Drew Brees To Miss At Least 2 Games

November 18th, 2020 at 10:21am CST by Zachary Links

The Saints will be without Drew Brees for at least a little while longer. The latest round of tests on the quarterback more or less matched the previous one, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). With cracked ribs on both sides and a punctured lung, Brees will be out for the next two weeks at the minimum. After that, the Saints’ medical staff will closely monitor Brees’ condition to assess whether he can return to the field.

With Brees sidelined, Jameis Winston is expected to start for the Saints with his first assignment coming on Sunday against the Falcons.Winston filled in for Brees after his early exit against the 49ers, completing six of ten passes for 63 yards in the second half. This is a massive opportunity for Winston to reassert himself before free agency, even if his starting gig only lasts for a couple of weeks. The former first overall pick signed a one-year deal with the Saints back in April. Meanwhile, Brees is looking ahead to his broadcasting future, which means that Winston could be auditioning for the long-term position.

Given Brees’ impressive track record of playing through the pain — and the presence of Taysom Hill — many questioned the wisdom of Winston’s offseason decision. Now, he’ll have an opportunity to show what he can do at the helm of one of the NFL’s best teams.

Latest On Drew Breees

November 17th, 2020 at 1:05pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

The top story in the NFL right now remains the injury to Saints quarterback Drew Brees, and exactly how long he’ll be out. We’re still a bit in the dark, but we’ve got a couple new developments to pass along.

Brees is having his scans sent to other experts for a second opinion on his cracked ribs and collapsed lung, a source told Ed Werder of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Brees has five clear rib fractures but could have even more, Werder noted in a follow-up tweet. Werder writes it’ll be the second opinion that determines whether or not Brees goes on injured reserve and in turn misses a minimum of three games.

We originally heard that injured reserve wasn’t being immediately considered, but it now sounds like that’s very much on the table. The absolute best case scenario seems to be that Jameis Winston and/or Taysom Hill fill in for the next couple of games. Ideally Brees would get a few games to readjust before the playoffs start, but he may not have that luxury. In a final tweet Werder says a source told him no determination on the length of his absence will be made until after the second opinions come in, so everything is still in flux.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 11/17/20

November 17th, 2020 at 12:00pm CST by Zachary Links

We’ll keep track of today’s practice squad moves here:

Atlanta Falcons

  • Signed: LB Jake Carlock

Baltimore Ravens

Carolina Panthers

Cincinnati Bengals

  • Cut: OT O’Shea Dugas

Dallas Cowboys

Kansas City Chiefs

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

Pittsburgh Steelers

San Francisco 49ers

QB Injury Updates: Brees, Darnold, Minshew, Lock, Dalton

November 16th, 2020 at 5:55pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

There have been a lot of short-term quarterback injuries recently, and we’ve got a batch of updates to pass along. We heard earlier Monday that Drew Brees is dealing with several cracked ribs as well as a collapsed lung, and now we have a better idea how long he’ll be sidelined. 2-3 weeks is apparently the “most optimistic recovery time” for the veteran, a source told Dan Graziano of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Graziano said there’s emphasis on the optimistic part there, indicating it could be quite a bit longer than that.

He also added “there is hope he’s back in time for playoffs,” which doesn’t paint the prettiest picture. It sounds like it’ll be Jameis Winston and/or Taysom Hill for the foreseeable future. Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported earlier the Saints weren’t immediately planning on placing Brees on injured reserve, confirming there is some hope he won’t even have to miss three full games. Graziano says it’ll all come down to when they feel like he can take a hit without risk of re-injury. New Orleans will take on the Falcons this weekend, and head coach Sean Payton has already said he won’t name a starting quarterback until closer to kickoff.

Here’s more on the health status of various passers:

  • The Jets will be looking for their first win of the season with Joe Flacco yet again. Sam Darnold will not be able to return this week, they announced Monday. This will be Flacco’s fourth start of the season after Darnold briefly returned before re-injuring his shoulder and hitting the shelf again. Head coach Adam Gase said he could possibly play in Week 12, but that doesn’t sound overly likely at the moment. Darnold himself spoke to the media, and made it sound like the team is going to be very cautious and not play him until he’s 100 percent. He did say he was “very confident” he would play again this season, but we could be looking at another couple of games at least with Flacco under center.
  • Jaguars quarterback Gardner Minshew also won’t be ready to return this week, head coach Doug Marrone said Monday, meaning sixth-round rookie Jake Luton will get his third-straight start. It does sound like Minshew is getting closer though, as Marrone said he’ll start throwing routes again in practice this week, via Michael DiRocco of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
  • Drew Lock melted down against the Raiders on Sunday with four interceptions, but he apparently wasn’t 100 percent healthy. Lock has a muscle strain around his ribs, a source told Tom Pelissero of NFL Network (Twitter link). Head coach Vic Fangio acknowledged that his status for this weekend’s game against the Dolphins is in doubt. He also reiterated that he’s not considering benching the second-year pro assuming he’s healthy, even though he’s been struggling mightily recently. If he isn’t able to suit up Brett Rypien is currently the number two, although the team also has veteran Blake Bortles on the practice squad.
  • In better news, it looks like the Cowboys won’t have quite as chaotic a situation any more under center. Coach Mike McCarthy announced Monday that Andy Dalton had been cleared to fully return to practice, and he should start this Sunday against the Vikings. Dalton has missed the past two games after suffering a concussion and then testing positive for COVID-19. Seventh-round rookie Ben DiNucci and former undrafted AAF star Garrett Gilbert started in his place.

Drew Brees Has Multiple Fractured Ribs, Collapsed Lung

November 16th, 2020 at 2:00pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

We heard early this morning that the Saints were bracing for the possibility of Drew Brees missing time, and now that sounds like an absolute certainty. Brees is dealing with multiple fractured ribs as well as a collapsed right lung, Ed Werder of ESPN.com reports (on Twitter).

In a follow-up tweet, Werder notes that Brees suffered two fractured ribs during New Orleans’ win over the 49ers, and he had three other fractures on the other side from their win over the Bucs the week before that weren’t discovered until Monday’s X-Rays. He also writes that doctors have advised Brees to be cautious with the collapsed lung, which makes it sound like his return to the field won’t be imminent.

Brees has also been on the injury report this year with a shoulder issue, and all these ailments explain why Brees called it an “accumulative thing” after the game on Sunday. On the bright side Ian Rapoport of NFL Network tweets that injured reserve is not currently being discussed, so it sounds like there’s still a chance the injuries aren’t too long-term.

For however long Brees has to be sidelined, it will presumably be Jameis Winston under center, although Sean Payton could easily go with Taysom Hill as well at a moment’s notice. Winston filled in for Brees in the second half against the 49ers, completing six of ten passes for 63 yards. When Brees was on the shelf last year the Saints had Teddy Bridgewater start five games.

Even if it’s only a game or two, this is a massive opportunity for Winston to redefine his narrative and reset his value heading into unrestricted free agency next offseason. The former first overall pick signed a one-year deal with the Saints back in April. Many already believed this would be Brees’ final season, as he lined up a deal with NBC Sports for his post-playing days this offseason, and the toll his body is clearly taking might only make that decision easier. We’ll keep you posted as soon as we have more information on the situation.

Saints’ Drew Brees To Miss Time

November 16th, 2020 at 9:19am CST by Zachary Links

Saints quarterback Drew Brees suffered a rib contusion on Sunday against the 49ers, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). He’ll undergo an MRI to check for cartilage damage, but the Saints are already bracing for Brees to miss time.

Brees took a big hit late in the first half and initially stayed in the game before telling Sean Payton at halftime that he wouldn’t be able to continue. Interestingly, the injury report indicated that Brees had suffered a shoulder injury — a sign that he’s dealing with multiple ailments, rather than just the ribs. Jameis Winston filled in for Brees after he was forced out, completing 6-10 passes for 63 yards.

Winston may be in line to start for the Saints this week, when they face the Falcons. Of course, Taysom Hill is also on the depth chart, giving Payton a couple of possible options to start.

Historically, Brees has always found a way to play through the pain. Over the course of his 20-year career, he’s missed just six games — mostly due to the thumb ligament tear he suffered last year. In his stead, Teddy Bridgewater went 5-0 as the Saints’ starter. If Brees misses an extended stretch, there could be a real opportunity for Winston to reassert himself in similar fashion. Bridgewater later parlayed his performance into a three-year Panthers deal worth $63MM, with a whopping $40MM guaranteed in the first two years.

Injury Updates: Bridgewater, Panthers, Brees, Saints, Edelman, Patriots

November 15th, 2020 at 8:59pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

Fortunately today looks like a (relatively) clean Sunday in terms of NFL injuries. We’re still tracking a couple of important quarterbacks though, and we’ve got a few updates to offer as the Week 10 slate winds down:

  • All eyes are on Teddy Bridgewater and the Panthers now after Bridgewater suffered a knee injury during Carolina’s loss to Tampa Bay. Bridgewater underwent an MRI immediately after the game, somewhat of a departure from a usual Monday MRI, Chris Mortensen of ESPN.com tweets. While the team clearly wanted to rush him in, fortunately the “initial word” on the injury is that “it’s not serious,” Ian Rapoport of NFL Network tweets. Rapsheet adds that a source told him they’re not even ruling Bridgewater out for next week yet. More good news is, as Mortensen points out, the injury is to his right knee which is not the one that was completely torn up during his devastating 2016 injury. All that being said, it sounds like there’s a good chance that former XFL star P.J. Walker gets one or more starts under center for Carolina. They’ll play the Lions next week.
  • Bridgewater wasn’t the only NFC South passer to get banged up, as Drew Brees didn’t play the second half of the Saints’ win over the 49ers due to a rib injury. Brees took a big hit late in the first half and initially stayed in the game before telling Sean Payton at halftime that he wouldn’t be able to continue. Speaking to the media after the game Brees was vague, and described his injury as an “accumulative thing,” via Jeff Nowak of NOLA.com (Twitter video link). He’s been listed on the injury report with a shoulder injury, and Brees made it sound like the issue is a combination of things rather than one specific ailment. It’ll be very interesting to monitor this situation going forward, and to see if Jameis Winston or Taysom Hill would become the starter if he has to miss time. Winston filled in on Sunday, completing 6/10 passes for 63 yards.
  • The Patriots have been widely criticized for the lack of weapons they’ve provided Cam Newton, but fortunately help could be on the way soon. Julian Edelman, sidelined since undergoing a knee procedure a couple of weeks ago, seems to be recovering well. Mike Reiss of ESPN.com heard some “optimism from those close” to Edelman, who said he’s been moving well in recent on-field work. It’s too early to say for sure, but it sounds from Reiss’ blurb that Edelman has a real chance to return in Week 11 when first eligible against the Texans.

Saints Facing Punishment For COVID-19 Protocol Violations

November 15th, 2020 at 8:24am CST by Rory Parks

The Saints are once again under fire for violating the league’s COVID-19 protocols. As Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reports, the NFL is expected to discipline the Saints in the coming days after videos of the team’s postgame celebration of last Sunday’s win over the Bucs — videos that revealed protocol violations — were posted to social media.

New Orleans thrashed division-rival Tampa Bay on the road in primetime last week, so there was plenty to celebrate. But in the video that was posted to the Saints’ official Twitter account following the game, and in videos that players posted to their own social media accounts, multiple players were seen not wearing masks.

While players are not required to wear masks during the game, they are required to do so in the locker room. So it’s clear that the team was in violation of protocols, and since the Saints now qualify as repeat offenders, their punishment could be stiff.

After the club’s Week 2 loss to the Raiders, head coach Sean Payton was fined $100K and the Saints were fined $250K because Payton was not wearing his mask during the game. The Raiders themselves were recently stripped of a sixth-round pick for multiple violations of COVID-19 protocols, and it’s possible that New Orleans could face a similar fate.

At the very least, the Saints can probably expect another hefty fine. Along with the forfeiture of a sixth-round draft choice, Las Vegas was docked $500K for its most recent transgressions.

Minor NFL Transactions: 11/13/20

November 13th, 2020 at 5:41pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are Friday’s minor moves:

Buffalo Bills 

  • Placed on IR: LB Del’Shawn Phillips

Carolina Panthers

Miami Dolphins

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

2020 NFL Cap Space, By Team

November 9th, 2020 at 9:58am CST by Zachary Links

The trade deadline is in the rear view mirror, but teams are still keeping a watchful eye on their salary cap figures. For contenders, the available dollars can be used for late-season signings. For all clubs, a portion of the unspent dollars can be rolled over into future seasons, giving them a larger budget to work with in the first wave of free agency.

Here are the most recent figures for each team, via Over The Cap:

  1. Cleveland Browns – $31MM
  2. New York Jets – $30.4MM
  3. Dallas Cowboys — $28MM
  4. Jacksonville Jaguars– $26.3MM
  5. Philadelphia Eagles– $23.9MM
  6. Washington Football Team – $23.3MM
  7. New England Patriots – $21.8MM
  8. Denver Broncos – $19.8MM
  9. Miami Dolphins – $15.6MM
  10. Detroit Lions – $14.2MM
  11. Cincinnati Bengals– $12.3MM
  12. Indianapolis Colts – $10.7MM
  13. Los Angeles Chargers — $8.4MM
  14. New York Giants – $8MM
  15. Chicago Bears – $7.6MM
  16. Houston Texans – $7.5MM
  17. Los Angeles Rams – $6.9MM
  18. Pittsburgh Steelers – $6.9MM
  19. Green Bay Packers – $6.7MM
  20. Arizona Cardinals– $6.2MM
  21. New Orleans Saints – $6MM
  22. Las Vegas Raiders – $6MM
  23. Kansas City Chiefs – $5.7MM
  24. Carolina Panthers – $5.5MM
  25. Tampa Bay Buccaneers – $5.3MM
  26. Tennessee Titans – $4.6MM
  27. Minnesota Vikings – $3.8K
  28. San Francisco 49ers – $3.7MM
  29. Seattle Seahawks – $3.3MM
  30. Baltimore Ravens – $3.3MM
  31. Buffalo Bills – $3MM
  32. Atlanta Falcons – $1.8MM
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