#Saints rookie S Smoke Monday suffered what’s believed to be a significant knee injury today, sources say. Monday, an undrafted free agent from Auburn, has drawn praise from teammate Tyrann Mathieu for his ability and study habits.
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) August 2, 2022
This sucks: NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo reports that the New Orleans Saints fear a “significant knee injury” for safety Smoke Monday, an undrafted rookie who signed with the team out of Auburn. Monday immediately ingratiated himself to Saints fans while celebrating his arrival to New Orleans after the 2022 NFL draft, but struggling to stand out in practice at such a crowded position group.
It’s a tough break for a young player. Monday, 22, was a long shot to make the roster behind pros like Tyrann Mathieu, Marcus Maye, C.J. Gardner-Johnson, J.T. Gray, and Bryce Thompson, but he would likely have competed for a spot on the practice squad. Other safeties on the depth chart include veterans Justin Evans and Daniel Sorensen.
If this is indeed a season-ending knee injury, at best he’ll be hoping to take a redshirt year and return for a second shot in 2023. That’s a lot of adversity for someone to take on so early in their pro career. Hopefully he’s able to make a full and clean recovery.
