The New Orleans Saints have a number of key offensive contributors on injured reserve (IR) that have either recently become eligible to return, or are nearing their expected return timeline. Head coach Kellen Moore updated the plan for each, with some positive potential for the team heading into Week 9.
New Orleans could be getting rookie wide receiver Jordyn Tyson back at practice as early as this week, along with running back Travis Etienne Jr., both of which match or slightly lag expected timelines. But Moore also brought up another surprising name that the team will be checking progress on this week: left tackle Kelvin Banks Jr.
“The IR guys, still to be determined,” said Moore. “Again, they’ll have some work today with the training room, and then we’ll make a decision whether Wednesday is the ideal time to bring them up and make their practice availability. So we should know here shortly.”
Moore confirmed that Tyson, Etienne and Banks were a part of that process.
Etienne has been on IR since the Saints’ Week 3 home opener against the Las Vegas Raiders, during which he tweaked his hamstring running out of bounds in the game. Tyson has been sidelined since Aug. 13 with his own hamstring issue.
Both were expected to make their returns in this time frame of the season, but Banks was a surprising topic with a high-ankle sprain that required surgery. Despite that, his progress has Moore feeling optimistic.
“I think (Banks is) progressing pretty well,” he said. “He’s doing a really nice job. Our training room has done a lot of work with him, and I think he’s in a good position to just continue to build, and we’ll just see what today looks like and then make a decision on what Wednesday needs to look like.”
It appears very unlikely that Banks would be back on the field in Sunday’s game against the Cleveland Browns, but the 21-day practice window does mean, should he be able to return to practice, he’d have three weeks of practice before being added to the active roster. However, it’s far more likely that he won’t return to practice for another few weeks.
As for Tyson, Moore did provide one important piece of clarity around his situation. With the wideout going on three months since his training camp hamstring injury, there was growing concern of some kind of re-aggravation, or agitation, of the ailment. Moore said that Tyson has not experienced any setbacks when asked.
“No,” he said. “No, he’s just been on this plan.”
The three offensive difference-makers, particularly Tyson and Etienne, will be the first the media looks to identify on Wednesday when the team returns to the practice. If they are indeed, all eyes will be their progress toward taking the field against the Browns on Sunday.
