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The hits just keep coming for the New Orleans Saints, who sent rookie defensive end Payton Turner to injured reserve on Thursday. Turner suffered a shoulder injury in last week’s loss to the Atlanta Falcons and tried to play through it, but it’s a severe enough issue for him to be shut down for at least three weeks. No word yet on whether this is a season-ending issue for him.
Turner was the Saints’ top pick in the 2021 NFL draft, and while his rookie debut was very promising he’s been limited by too many injuries up to this point. He’s also missed time with elbow and calf muscle issues. Hopefully he heals up fully and can return to the lineup some time this season.
Without him, the Saints will be relying on Marcus Davenport, Tanoh Kpassagnon, Carl Granderson (who is also recovering from a shoulder injury), and Jalyn Holmes to support Cameron Jordan. New Orleans has invested a ton of resources into the unit in recent years, both in draft picks and salary cap commitments, but it hasn’t worked out for a defense tied for the third fewest sacks in the NFL.
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