The New Orleans Saints are a team to keep an early eye on for a playoff push from the NFC South this season. The Saints gave a much-hyped Detroit Lions team all they could handle in Week 1 before losing 31-30 in overtime when New Orleans missed a two-point conversion opportunity that would have won the game. In Week 2, the Saints outscored the Baltimore Ravens 15-0 to earn a 24-17 win over the Baltimore Ravens on the road.
However, the Saints have a concerning injury to monitor for offensive tackle Kelvin Banks Jr. Per Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network, Banks is believed to have a high-ankle sprain injury, and he could be headed to injured reserve. He could miss approximately four to six weeks.
More news: Exclusive: Breakout NFL Executives Who Could Become Future General Managers More news: 4 QBs Generating Serious Trade Buzz Weeks Before NFL Regular Season Starts "Saints stellar OT Kelvin Banks Jr., who was carted off on Sunday, is believed to have suffered a high-ankle sprain, sources say," Rapoport posted on X. "He’ll have an MRI to determine the severity, but those injuries are often 4-6 weeks and would mean a stint on IR." Saints head coach Kellen Moore said the loss of Banks, a first-round pick in 2025, was a "hurt" for the offense. "It always hurts when we lose guys," Moore said, via ESPN.
"Guys compete and Kelvin's got an ankle. We'll see what this thing looks like tomorrow." Asim Richards, a 2023 fifth-round pick by the Dallas Cowboys, replaced Banks on Sunday and could be the team's starter if Banks has to miss significant time. The Saints will next host the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 3, who have been a surprise in their own right over the first two weeks.
The Raiders beat the Miami Dolphins 27-23 in Week 1 and dominated the Las Angeles Chargers 26-14 on Sunday to improve to 2-0 under first-year head coach Klint Kubiak. For more on the Saints and the NFL, head to Newsweek Sports.
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