The New Orleans Saints announced Wednesday afternoon, ahead of practice, that they have placed starting left tackle Kelvin Banks Jr. on injured reserve.
The second-year tackle suffered an ankle injury late in the third quarter during the team’s Week 2 win against the Baltimore Ravens. After a third-down sack by Ravens edge rusher Mike Green, he and Banks collided unintentionally with Banks going to the ground.
The 2025 first-round pick was tended to by medical staff for an extended period on the field before eventually being carted off and back to the team’s locker room.
There was an initial four- to-six-week timeline expected, but after further testing, it was determined that Banks’ high-ankle sprain would require surgery. That procedure will keep him out for an undetermined amount of time.
Head coach Kellen Moore said that the door is still open for a return this season for the tackle. Until then, the team will turn to versatile offensive lineman Asim Richards, who has taken nearly 400 snaps with the Saints at both left and right tackle spots since he was acquired last preseason via trade.
Long snapper Cal Adomitis, who was signed from the Miami Dolphins practice squad, will be the corresponding move that will fill the spot vacated with Banks on the injury list.
Banks has appeared in all 19 possible games of his career thus far and was a 17-game starter last season as a rookie, though he left the Week 18 matchup early with a minor ankle injury. He returned from that injury rapidly and took part in all of the Saints’ offseason programs, training camp and was the team’s Week 1 starter against the Detroit Lions.
The severity of this injury does not appear to be connected to the previous ankle injury in 2025, which was not considered a major situation.
Of his 19 starts, Banks was credited with allowing 53 pressures and seven sacks while being one of the tackles across the league most left in one-on-one situations (“on an island”) with pass rushers. He earned that trust through his quick development, impressive movement skills and blocking ability.
Richards, who will step in for Banks and receive his first start of the year against the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday, has appeared in 391 snaps for New Orleans at both tackle spots and as a sixth offensive lineman in jumbo packages.
He is credited with surrendering 24 pressures and just two sacks on 224 pass-blocking snaps since arriving in the Big Easy.
