Wow. The New Orleans Saints are bringing tight end Foster Moreau back to his hometown as a free agent, and it isn’t just a good-faith gesture in the wake of his cancer diagnosis. Multiple local reports say that Moreau received a positive prognosis and that he expects to play for the Saints in 2023.
First, ESPN’s Adam Schefter said that “Moreau has been cleared and expects to play this season.” ESPN’s Katherine Terrell added that while Moreau’s playing status is uncertain “the course of treatment was looked at in terms of weeks, not months.”
Nola.com’s Luke Johnson reported the indication he’s been given “is that Moreau will be ready to participate right away.”
And NewOrleans.Football’s Nick Underhill shared that Moreau is “still getting treatment but it won’t impact his participation. The Saints will bring him along slowly, but he is not expected to have any limitations.”
So there’s a very strong chance fans will see Moreau on the practice field over the summer, though it’s unclear what his activity level will be. Receiving medical clearance to play and having the right conditioning to help out during games are two different things. They could be approaching him similarly to rookie running back Kendre Miller, who is expected to take it easy this summer while recovering from a meniscus injury.
But this is a big (and very positive) upswing from where Moreau said he expected to be just a few weeks ago, having suggested he could return midseason. If he’s going to be back in the mix even sooner, well, that’s worth celebrating.
