The New Orleans Saints’ passing offense has been impressive to start the season. Ranked No. 4 in the NFL in passing yards per game (281.3) with their Week 4 game left to play, the Saints’ offense has been entirely defined by their ability to move the ball through the air.
The team currently has the No. 2 quarterback, Tyler Shough, in passing yards per game, the No. 1 wide receiver, Chris Olave, in receiving yards per contest as well as a pair of productive tight ends in Juwan Johnson and Noah Fant.
Soon, that area of the offense will have a new, explosive weapon added in rookie wideout Jordyn Tyson.
It might not happen on the timeline some envisioned, but per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the expectation is that Tyson could be back in action as soon as Week 7 when the Saints face the Pittsburgh Steelers in Paris.
However, the more likely scenario is Week 9 at home against the Cleveland Browns following the Saints’ bye week.
Ideally, Tyson would have already played in three games going into New Orleans’ Monday Night Football for an important and emotional game with Atlanta. Unfortunately, an Aug. 13 hamstring injury has sidelined the No. 8 overall selection, who has suffered a number of such injuries over the last two years.
The timeline for his return was initially placed at two months, which closely aligns with what would be his return to practice for either a Week 7 or Week 9 debut.
Head coach Kellen Moore has already said that the Saints are not expecting Tyson to be back on the practice field ahead of the team’s Week 5 matchup with the 4-0 Minnesota Vikings.
Meaning his return to practice could come as soon as October 14 following the team’s Vikings contest, and ahead of the next road trip to take on the New York Giants. Debuting Tyson on the infamous MetLife Stadium turf may not be an advantageous decision, and is one the Saints would be wise to avoid with the history of lower-body injuries suffered in the playing surface.
Activating Tyson before the bye week would maximize his practice time ahead of Week 9. But if he is going to make his debut overseas in Paris, it will be a necessity.
Tyson’s debut could take place when New Orleans hosts a surging Cleveland Browns team appears to be the most likely scenario. The Saints have taken a consistently cautious approach with Tyson, but there’s no true timeline worth ruling out at this point.
In any case, the Saints are weeks away from the premiere of their dynamic rookie, who can add another element to an already productive offense.
