You won’t find many fanbases celebrating just six players being listed on their team’s injury report to open the 2023 season, but that’s where New Orleans Saints fans’ minds ought to be.
The Saints never had fewer than eight players on their injury report in 2022, topping out with 15 injuries midseason. They had 10 players on the Week 1 injury report last year. To have just six players managing injuries (with two of them simply getting veteran’s rest days) is a big improvement.
Buy Saints TicketsRight tackle Ryan Ramczyk was given Wednesdays off throughout the 2022 season to manage the wear and tear on his knee; that approach worked well for him so the Saints are running it back in 2023. That’s also the plan for tight end Jimmy Graham as he continues to reacclimate to football after a year out of the game.
So really the Saints have just four injuries to monitor. Rookie running back Kendre Miller (knee) is the most important absence, but we shouldn’t overlook special teams ace J.T. Gray (shoulder) sitting out Wednesday, either. Backup wide receiver Tre’Quan Smith (groin) is also out of action. But cornerback Marshon Lattimore (knee), one of the team’s most important players, was a limited participant and is trending in the right direction.
Hopefully the Saints can continue to heal up and play a lot of games at full strength this year. They’re off to a good start.
