The New Orleans Saints designated veteran defensive lineman Tanoh Kpassagnon to return from injured reserve, and he got on the practice field Tuesday for the first time since partially tearing his Achilles tendon while preparing for training camp this offseason. He’s on his way back, and his coach couldn’t be happier.
“Since Tanoh got injured, I haven’t seen someone in this building more than him, and that’s a credit to him,” interim head coach Darren Rizzi said Tuesday. “Sometimes it’s really easy to get frustrated, especially with the rehab process. So kudos to him. He’s just been grinding through the rehab and to see him out there today in the pads with the helmet on, it’s been a big buildup for him.”
Kpassagnon has been a key piece of the defensive line through three years with New Orleans, tallying 9.5 sacks and 23 quarterback hits along with 65 tackles (10 tackles for loss). He’s got the size to move inside and rush from a defensive tackle alignment while showing the lower-body flexibility needed to guard the edges, and they’d like to add him to the rotation soon. He just needs to prove his body can handle it. He’ll have 21 days to practice and get that green light to go into a game.
