When the New Orleans Saints and Carolina Panthers meet to battle for sole possession of the NFC South, the Saints will be carrying a patchwork offensive line just one week after fielding all five starters for the first time since Week 3.
The injuries forcing the changes on the offensive line are not expected to be long-term, but center Erik McCoy and right tackle Taliese Fuaga have both been ruled out.
At the same time, both the Saints and Panthers will be welcoming back offensive contributors, while Carolina remains limited at cornerback.
Here’s a look at who is in and who is out for Sunday’s Week 10 showdown.
New Orleans Saints
OUT: C Erik McCoy
After suffering a biceps injury last week, McCoy will be sidelined for the matchup. In his place, starting right guard Cesar Ruiz (a collegiate center with Michigan) will slide over to step in while rookie Jeremiah Wright takes over the right guard role. It will be Wright’s second start of the season and Ruiz’s first start at center since 2022.
OUT: RT Taliese Fuaga
Three injuries occurred during practice for New Orleans throughout the week, two of which have led to players being unavailable for Sunday’s game and beyond.
Fuaga’s knee injury is expected to be short-term, but rookie defensive tackle Christen Miller was placed on injured reserve. Fuaga will be the key focus here, however, as he has started all eight games for New Orleans at right tackle so far this year. It’s likely that versatile lineman Asim Richards will be stepping into that role. Richards started five games at left tackle for the Saints earlier in the season.
IN: RB Travis Etienne Jr.
Since Week 3, the Saints have been without their top running back, Travis Etienne Jr., who has now been activated from injured reserve after recovering from a hamstring injury. The return couldn’t have been better timed. The Saints are coming off of a game against the Cleveland Browns in which they gained 160 rushing yards and have a great complement to Etienne in physical rusher Audric Estime. With Etienne’s veteran experience, it’s reasonable to expect that he’ll see a significant workload Sunday.
Carolina Panthers
IN: WR Xavier Legette
The Carolina Panthers have a trio of big-bodied, physical wide receivers who are set to pose a threat to the Saints’ secondary. Already fielding pass-catchers like Tetairoa McMillan and Jalen Coker, the team has now activated former South Carolina Gamecocks star Xavier Legette as well. Each receiver stands at 6 feet, 3 inches or taller, creating matchup nightmares across the board.
IN: EDGE Jaelan Phillips
After missing almost a month of action, the Panthers’ top pass-rusher and major free-agent acquisition Jaelan Phillips is set to return. Saints quarterback Tyler Shough was sacked five times in last week’s overtime win over the Cleveland Browns. He’s also been sacked an average of 2.5 times per game this season. Neutralizing Phillips will be especially important for the Saints’ injured offensive line.
OUT: CB Mike Jackson
It looked like the Panthers might have been set to get one of their starting cornerbacks back for this matchup, but with Mike Jackson not upgraded from his doubtful designation, Carolina will still be relying on backups. One game-time decision to watch will be cornerback Will Lee III, who has filled in well while Jackson and Jaycee Horn have been out with injuries.
