Here’s an update to one New Orleans Saints injury situation. Defensive tackle Malcolm Roach has been designated to the injured reserve list, per NewOrleans.Football’s Nick Underhill, where he’ll have to sit out the first four games of the season before he’ll be eligible to return. The NFL adjusted its injured reserve rules again for the 2022 season, which now allow up to eight players to return after being sent to the reserve list — setting a cap on the unlimited returns teams were able to use over the last two years while working around COVID-19 absences.
And as Underhill added, Roach is expected to suit up for the Saints as soon as possible (in what would be their Week 5 home game with the Seattle Seahawks). He just needs a few weeks to heal up after exiting their final preseason game with what appeared to be a lower leg injury, but details have been sparse. In any rate, look for New Orleans to audition some veteran free agents; the defensive tackles on their roster right now include David Onyemata, Shy Tuttle, and Kentavius Street. Another backup, Albert Huggins was lost to a season-ending injury late in the preseason finale.
So while fans may be hoping for a high-profile free agent pickup like the curiously still-unsigned Ndamukong Suh, New Orleans has been looking at more budget-friendly options. Underhill reports that the team worked out veteran free agents Vernon Butler and Keke Kingsley following the injuries to Roach and Huggins. So who are they?
Butler, 28, played college football at Louisiana Tech and was a first-round draft pick by the Carolina Panthers back in 2016. He suited up in six games against the Saints before signing with the Buffalo Bills in 2020, but was inactive for their rematch on Thanksgiving Day last season. The Las Vegas Raiders signed Butler earlier this year but released him a few weeks ago.
Keke, 25, starred at Texas A&M and was drafted in the fifth round by the Green Bay Packers in 2019 (both of his first two career sacks came against Drew Brees and the Saints early in the 2020 season). He was waived during the 2021 playoffs and initially landed with the Houston Texans, who let him go after the 2022 draft. He was waived again recently after spending the offseason with the Arizona Cardinals.
The Saints could sign either of them or continue to try out free agent options. Stay tuned for movement on this front.
