The Saints won’t have one of their key defensive players for the start of the regular season.
Per Nick Underhill of neworleans.football, defensive tackle Khalen Saunders is expected to be out for a couple of weeks with a calf injury.
This could affect how the Saints construct their initial 53-man roster. If Saunders will be back after just two weeks, then New Orleans wouldn’t want to place him on injured reserve, as that would automatically keep him out for four games. But the Saints could look to keep more depth on their defensive line.
Saunders started all 17 games for New Orleans in 2023. He recorded 57 total tackles with one tackle for loss and one pass defense. He was on the field for 47 percent of the club’s defensive snaps.
A Chiefs third-round pick in 2019, Saunders signed a three-year deal with New Orleans in March of last year.
All teams must reduce their rosters to 53 players by 4 p.m. ET on Tuesday.