We’re hours away from what may be the last New Orleans Saints game of the year. A loss in Sunday’s matchup with the Atlanta Falcons would end the Saints’ season, while a win could only extend it by a few more minutes, depending on how the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ contest with the Carolina Panthers goes, or hours, with a couple of different late-afternoon matchups factoring into the playoff picture.
But it all starts with a win on Sunday. And to that end, the Saints processed a series of last-minute roster moves to bring up reinforcements from their practice squad and the injured reserve list. Here’s what you need to know about each of them:
DE Payton Turner activated from injured reserve
Turner doesn’t have much time left to change the narrative surrounding him as an injury-prone and inconsistent player, but this is as good a chance as any. It’s frustrating because he put together his strongest offseason this summer and got hurt while making a good play early in Week 1. Maybe he can show something on Sunday in the pass-rush rotation.
LB Nephi Sewell designated to injured reserve
Sewell suffered a torn ACL during last week’s win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and the Saints officially ended his season by putting him on injured reserve. This was a necessary move to open a roster spot for Turner to be activated, but it’s still a tough break for Sewell who had come on so well this year after earning more minutes for his work on special teams. Hopefully he can recover fully in time for the 2024 season.
CB Shemar Jean-Charles signed from the practice squad
Jean-Charles was signed to the 53-man roster this week after coming up from the practice squad for a few recent games, playing his best football on special teams. That’s an area the Saints value highly. Look for him to continue to make a positive impact covering punts and kickoffs.
OL Tommy Kraemer elevated from the practice squad
Kraemer has played almost exclusively at both guard spots since his 2018 sophomore year at Notre Dame, but the Saints had him line up at right tackle on the fly in their blowout win over the New England Patriots earlier this season. He’s presumably the top backup for Cameron Erving, their third-stringer starting in relief of the injured Ryan Ramczyk and Landon Young.
RB Jordan Mims elevated from the practice squad
Haener was brought up to play special teams earlier this year, though he’s returned to the practice squad when the Saints running backs have been at near-full health. Both Alvin Kamara (ankle injury) and Kendre Miller (illness) are questionable for Sunday’s game so it makes sense to have Mims available in case he’s needed.
