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The New Orleans Saints offensive line is starting to look like what the coaching staff has drawn up on paper. Left guard Andrus Peat returned to practice after missing time with a thumb injury in recent weeks, suiting up for Monday’s training camp session.
Peat signed a hefty contract extension earlier this summer, and reportedly showed up for work in excellent shape. But injuries have slowed him down throughout his career, and this thumb issue meant he had to take a backseat while recovering. The Saints promoted backup guard Nick Easton in his place, but now they’ve put their two-time Pro Bowler back in the lineup.
“Yeah it’s good to have him back. He had a thumb that he was dealing with,” Saints coach Sean Payton said after practice. “And like anything, when a player comes back, we’ll be mindful of the reps they’re getting those first few days. He’s obviously an important part of what we want to do with our offensive line. It’s good to have him back on the field.”
Peat’s return is the first step towards getting all hands on deck before the Sept. 13 season-opener. The Saints were missing a small crowd of players at Monday’s practice, including defensive end Marcus Davenport, safety Malcolm Jenkins, rookie center Cesar Ruiz, and running back Alvin Kamara.
Payton previously said that Jenkins and Ruiz wouldn’t be sidelined for long, but he wasn’t forthcoming with updates on Davenport or Kamara. Kamara did miss two practices last week with a stomach virus, and briefly returned before taking another absence, which Payton didn’t want to get into on Monday. It’s a curious situation for Kamara now that negotiations on a contract extension are moving along.
Hopefully other players managing injuries will heal up soon and join Peat on the practice field. It won’t be much longer before Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers visit the Mercedes-Benz Superdome.
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