This might help explain why the New Orleans Saints made re-signing Daniel Sorensen such a priority: rookie safety Jordan Howden missed practice Wednesday with a finger injury he suffered last week, and Saints head coach Dennis Allen says the team will monitor his progress before deciding whether he’ll play on Sunday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The good news is that Howden played through the injury last Sunday on the road with the Green Bay Packers. He was on the field for all 79 defensive snaps and totaled 4 tackles (3 assists) in the loss. He’s running point to fill in for Marcus Maye during the veteran’s three-game suspension, but if his injury worsens or hampers his performance the Saints could turn to someone like Lonnie Johnson Jr. or Ugo Amadi while bringing Johnathan Abram and Sorensen up from the practice squad for improved depth.
Buy Saints TicketsHopefully the rookie can gut it out and stay on the field so he can help his team. The fifth-round pick out of Minnesota quickly carved out a role in the Saints’ dime defensive package, playing 12 and 14 snaps in the first two weeks, before earning the nod to start over the top at free safety. The coaching staff thinks very highly of him and he needs these reps now to build his case as a long-term solution in the secondary.
