This isn’t what you want to see. NewOrleans.Football’s Nick Underhill and NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport each reported Monday that New Orleans Saints wide receiver Rashid Shaheed is dealing with a knee injury that may cause him to miss some time. Underhill added that Shaheed suffered the injury in the fourth quarter of Sunday’s loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
It’s definitely worth watching for updates on Shaheed’s status; Rapoport shared that his source called the receiver’s injury concerning, and that “His status going forward is TBD.” Underhill says the Saints will know once Shaheed’s test results come in.
Losing him would all-but cripple the offense. Chris Olave is already out with a concussion and is unlikely to clear protocol in time to play Thursday night against the Denver Broncos. That leaves veteran backup Cedrick Wilson Jr. on the 53-man roster with rookies Bub Means and Mason Tipton. The Saints would have to call up either Equanimeous St. Brown, Kevin Austin Jr., or Jermaine Jackson from the practice squad just to fill out the gameday lineup. You can see why the Saints have been trying so hard to trade for Davante Adams.
On top of his duties as a receiver, Shaheed has won All-Pro and Pro Bowl recognition for his skills as a returner. He just scored a touchdown on a 54-yard punt return to keep his team alive against the Buccaneers. You hope he doesn’t have to miss much time, but every game is critical after a 2-4 start.
