Trevor Penning is expected to be activated from injured reserve this week, per sources
— Nick Underhill (@nick_underhill) November 25, 2022
Here we go: NewOrleans.Football’s Nick Underhill reports that the New Orleans Saints plan to activate Trevor Penning from injured reserve ahead of Week 12’s game with the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday. The left tackle was picked in the first round of this year’s NFL draft, but a preseason turf toe injury required surgery that sidelined him for most of his rookie year.
So will he get in the lineup on Sunday? Probably, but don’t look for him to start right away. James Hurst is returning from a one-week absence in concussion protocol and he’s been capable — or at least more capable than Penning looked in preseason, where he struggled in making the jump from Northern Iowa to the NFL, through no fault of his own. We’ll see if the Saints make a change with both players available, but I wouldn’t bet on it.
What’s important is that Penning is healthy and ready to play. He needs all the reps he can get to make that transition to the pro level. The more experience he’s getting in live games, even if it’s coming off the bench as an extra blocker, the better. He was just so raw even before his injury. The vision all along has been for him to spend a year adjusting to the NFL so he can truly compete for the starting job in 2023. For now, let’s just be happy with what he can do to help on Sunday.
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