Neither the New Orleans Saints nor the Minnesota Vikings will take the field playing at full strength in Week 16’s matchup on Christmas Day. Both squads filed their final injury reports on Thursday before Friday’s kickoff, with the Vikings ruling out several key players — including star linebacker Eric Kendricks (calf). Tight end Kyle Rudolph (foot), who pushed the Saints out of the playoffs last season with his last-second touchdown grab, is also not playing.
Meanwhile, the Saints’ already-thin receiving corps will be without Tre’Quan Smith (ankle), the fourth-year pro who leads the position group in snaps played (673). Free safety Marcus Williams (ankle) has also been ruled out. Smith could be on the mend for some time, but we’re waiting on official word from the Saints to decide how long his ankle injury will keep him out of action. Hopefully it’s not a year-ending issue for him.
Here’s what you need to know from the Friday injury report: