The injury bug is biting the New Orleans Saints at the worst time. They enjoyed the strongest team health in the NFL for the first three months of the season but didn’t take advantage of it, going into the Week 11 bye without a winning record — and now they’re getting banged up after slipping to third-place in the NFC South.
Rashid Shaheed is the latest Saints standout to land on the injury report. Initially listed as questionable for Sunday’s game with the Carolina Panthers, Shaheed isn’t expected to play. NewOrleans.Football’s Nick Underhill reports that a second opinion found his thigh contusion injury (suffered two weeks ago against the Atlanta Falcons) was more serious than first believed.
So when will he return? It’s possible Shaheed could play next week against the New York Giants, but he might need more time to heal up. And the clock isn’t on his side. There are just four weeks left in the regular season after this Panthers game and the Saints are far from a lock to reach the playoffs and buy him more time.
With injuries and absences stacking up at receiver — Michael Thomas is on injured reserve with a knee injury, Chris Olave has missed two days of practice with the flu — the pressure is building on a position group that was supposed to carry the offense.
