Here’s some good news for your Wednesday. The New Orleans Saints hit the practice field with two players beginning their return from injured reserve: starting center Erik McCoy and backup linebacker Chase Hansen were both seen early in Wednesday’s practice session. McCoy has been out for most of the last month with a calf injury, while Hansen has been out of action with a knee issue.
The Saints should officially designate them both to return from injured reserve soon now that they’re participating in practice. They’ll have 21 days in which to pass a physical and practice with the team before getting the green light to join the 53-man roster and dress out for games. It’s telling that New Orleans recently waived backup center Josh Andrews, which suggests McCoy may be close to returning.
Five players were not spotted at the portion of practice open to the media: running backs Mark Ingram II and Dwayne Washington, safety P.J. Williams, linebacker Zack Baun, and defensive end Cameron Jordan. They may have returned to practice on a limited basis later on, but they weren’t participating in the opening stretch period. Ingram is likely done for the season with a knee injury; Williams, Baun, and Jordan each exited recent games with injuries of their own, though Jordan is currently appealing a $50,000 fine from the NFL after the league office accused him of faking an injury that required scans and treatment at the team facility during the bye week.
Additionally, several defenders who have missed time with injuries were on hand: cornerback Marshon Lattimore, linebacker Pete Werner, and safety J.T. Gray. Lattimore has been questionable to play in each of the last two weeks while managing kidney and rib injuries, while Werner has been recovering from ankle surgery, and Gray has been sidelined with a hamstring. Getting them back would be big for these final four weeks.
We’ll get a better idea of everyone’s participation level once the Saints release their initial injury report on Wednesday afternoon. They’re scheduled to kick off with the Atlanta Falcons at noon CT on Sunday, Dec. 18. Stay tuned for updates.
