Ryan Connelly can’t catch a break. The New Orleans Saints backup linebacker didn’t make the cut for a spot on the 53-man roster despite having played well in preseason both on defense and special teams, ultimately having to settle for the practice squad.
And when he got elevated for their Week 1 matchup with the Tennessee Titans, Connelly played almost every snap in the kicking game (21 of 24 reps) before going down with an injury that slowed him down earlier this summer. Saints head coach Dennis Allen shared an update on Connelly’s status after the game.
Buy Saints Tickets“Ryan Connelly probably is going to miss some time with that same knee that he had injured earlier,” Allen said, referencing the knee injury that the team feared could have required surgery and threatened Connelly’s season. Further exams revealed less damage than expected, but now he’s going back on the mend.
Because Connelly was on the practice squad, the Saints won’t have to designate him to injured reserve; instead, if this as severe as Allen’s comment suggests, he can be placed on the practice squad/injured list which functions the same way. It’s an approach the team used with wide receiver Lil’Jordan Humphrey back in 2020, sidelining him for more than two months.
So who could replace him? The Saints elevate different players from the practice squad each week (remember, each player may only be elevated three times before being signed to the 53-man roster) so they may approach things differently with less of an emphasis on special teams. But if the Saints do want someone else out there covering punts and kickoffs, it would make more sense to elevate rookie linebacker Anfernee Orji than his veteran teammate Jaylon Smith given Orji’s performance in that role during the preseason games. It’s not something Smith has shown he can do.
