This is tough. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reports that the New Orleans Saints believe third-year defensive end Payton Turner suffered a turf toe injury on Sunday “that should require surgery,” potentially sidelining one of the more impressive players from this year’s training camp.
Turner’s right foot caught in the Caesars Superdome turf while pressuring Tennessee Titans quarterback Ryan Tannehill into throwing an incomplete pass, though he was able to walk himself off the field and into the locker room for further evaluation. But this is the latest serious injury in what’s become a frustrating trend for the Saints.
Last year Trevor Penning, Deonte Harty, and Michael Thomas were just some of the players who suffered turf toe injuries on their home turf. Studies have found that artificial turf like the kind used at the Superdome (and, bizarrely, at some outdoor NFL venues) correlates with greater injury risk compared to natural grass. For all the work the Saints have done to proactively approach injury risk, continuing to play home games on a dangerous surface feels like a massive blind spot.
But let’s keep focus on Turner. Last year Penning went down in late August and needed turf toe surgery to repair damaged ligaments in his foot, and Rapoport’s reporting suggests a similar scenario for Turner. Penning wasn’t able to return until Week 12 which may be the timetable Turner could be headed for. Stay tuned for updates.
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