By Ross Jackson
After the first three days of OTA practice, New Orleans Saints head coach Kellen Moore was quick to point out a new addition to the team that has had a positive influence.
The Saints hired Ted Rath as their new Director of Sports Performance this offseason. This is a major shift for the Saints, who were in desperate need of something new in the area. So far, it sounds like things are paying off.
“Ted Rath and his crew, head of sports performance, has done a great job with our sports performance,” Moore said after the first OTA practice open to the media. “Just getting these guys ready to go in tandem with our training room. These guys have done an awesome job.”
The hire of Rath has been celebrated as a positive move for the Saints after another injury-riddle season diminished their 2024 hopes. Aside from being the “get back guy” for Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay years ago, he’s also been credited with helping to support some of the healthiest NFL rosters in the recent past.
That very reputation played a role in Moore and the Saints pursuing Rath. New Orleans had a desire to improve their standing in terms of team health after 14 key Week One contributors missed a combined 82 games in 2024, five of which finished the season on Injured Reserve.
New Orleans is already managing some injuries to start offseason programs, but the majority are inherited situations. Tight ends Taysom Hill and Foster Moreau are recovering from injuries that took place last year, and rookie cornerback Quincy Riley had a procedure following being drafted from an already existing issue.
Quarterback Jake Haener suffered an injury during the second OTA practice, and tight end Dallin Holker’s injury happened at an undisclosed time, from which he looks to be quickly recovering. Otherwise, the injuries were all pre-existing from the slew of ailments in 2024. Hiring Rath will hopefully change the Saints’ fortune in this category.
“We’re really conscious of being really efficient and the workloads that go into this,” Moore said. “Ted Rath is one of the best in the business. I truly think he’s the best from a sports performance standpoint. So, certainly he’s a guy that I’ll lean on in with connection to the training staff.”
