Saints Elevate Two Players for Opener Against Panthers

NEW ORLEANS — Two players will be elevated from the New Orleans Saints practice squad for Sunday’s game against the Carolina Panthers, the team announced Saturday. 

Linebacker Khaleke Hudson and defensive tackle Kendal Vickers are standard elevations and will be available to take snaps for Week 1. Linebacker is an area where numbers are slim with D’Marco Jackson and rookie Jaylan Ford ruled out in Friday’s final injury report. 

Vickers provides another rotation option at defensive tackle as well as additional special teams support. Last December when these two teams met, Panthers running backs Chubba Hubbard and Miles Sanders combined for 161 rushing yards. Beefing up and keeping fresh the interior defensive line is a must as the team looks to improve its defense against the run. 

Both players will be available along with Sunday’s 46-man game day roster. The team will also be able to appoint an emergency third quarterback as an additional game day option as well. 

Players can be elevated three times in a season before they must be either added to the active roster in order to appease again. 

Another significant takeaway with these moves comes from the offensive line. With no additional linemen elevated, it could signal that guard Nick Saldiveri could be healthy enough to at least be a backup option should the team suffer an injury or multiple injuries in the trenches.