Tag: Illness

Why was Johnathan Abram, not Jordan Howden, starting at safety for Saints?

Why was Johnathan Abram, not Jordan Howden, starting at safety for the Saints? The coaches had a good reason, and Abram made the most of his opportunity:

Jordan Howden has been a regular face in the New Orleans Saints secondary, so it was a little jarring to see him not in the starting lineup next to Tyrann Mathieu on Sunday. But the Saints coaching staff had a good reason for making a change: Howden was sidelined in practice to start the week with an illness that was still limiting him.

That prompted them to call up Johnathan Abram, who took Howden’s place as Marcus Maye’s fill-in. And Abram certainly made the most of that opportunity. He tied with Mathieu for the second-most tackles in Sunday’s win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers while also forcing a fumble, intercepting a pass, and breaking up another throw into his coverage.

Saints head coach Dennis Allen complimented Abram’s performance after the game, saying: “I thought he played really well, I was extremely proud of him. Happy for him, the way that he played. Great effort play on the strip to cause a fumble that Demario (Davis) recovered. There was a number of things he did well, but that stands out.”

Allen pointed to Abram as a veteran in the defensive backs room who has spent more time studying game tape than maybe anyone else on the roster; Abram started out on the practice squad to start the year before getting chances to dress out for games here or there prior to this start. Props to him for seizing his opportunity.

Maybe it’ll lead to a larger role for him with free agency on the horizon. A former Raiders first-round draft pick out of Mississippi State, Abram suited up for a couple of different teams last year before he reunited with Derek Carr in New Orleans. He quickly established himself as a valuable player on the depth chart, and the Saints are fortunate to have him. We’ll see if he can continue to make a positive difference in Week 18’s regular season finale.

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Report: Alvin Kamara, Lou Hedley will play through illness vs. Buccaneers

NOF’s Nick Underhill reports that running back Alvin Kamara and punter Lou Hedley will play against the Bucs despite being questionable with illness:

There’s no quit in this New Orleans Saints team. Several players were listed on the injury report after either missing practice or being limited participants due to an illness going around — running back Alvin Kamara and punter Lou Hedley were both listed as questionable for Sunday’s game with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers because of it. But NewOrleans.Football’s Nick Underhill reports that both of them will suit up on Sunday afternoon at Raymond James Stadium.

That’s good news. The Saints didn’t have an alternative to Hedley as a punter, and he has a heavy workload: Hedley’s 65 attempts this season are 14th-most among punters around the league. The rookie from Australia has had a rough season (his 4.02 seconds of average hang time are lowest in the league) but the team will need him against the Bucs.

As for Kamara: he’s been New Orleans’ only viable running back for much of the year with Jamaal Williams (73 carries for 222 yards) and Kendre Miller (28 rushes for 83 yards) both looking like massive disappointments after an overhyped offseason. Taysom Hill has been the team’s second-best rusher with 73 attempts for 349 yards on the ground, though a foot injury has slowed him down in recent weeks.

Kamara missed three games with a suspension and still ranks second on the team in receptions (73) and third in yards (462), though too many of his touches have been panicked checkdowns from Derek Carr as opposed to well-designed screens and big-play wheel routes like we’ve seen in the past. Hopefully Kamara can make a greater impact in Tampa Bay against a defense that has limited him to 84, 37, and 31 scrimmage yards in their last three meetings.

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Micah Parsons battling flu; Cowboys expect him to play vs Eagles

From @ToddBrock24f7: The two-time All-Pro was added to the injury report early Sunday, but the Cowboys don’t believe his playing time vs Philly will be affected.

Cue up the Michael Jordan memes and maybe get an IV bag ready, just in case. Cowboys linebacker Micah Parsons has come down with an illness but is expected to play Sunday night when the division-leading Eagles pay a visit to AT&T Stadium.

The team added Parsons to their injury report just prior to the kickoff of Week 14’s early-afternoon slate. As per Ed Werder of ESPN, a virus has been working its way through the Cowboys locker room; it apparently hit quarterback Dak Prescott last week.

Parsons is dealing with flu-like symptoms, and although the Cowboys do not expect his playing time to be affected Sunday night, it will be a situation worth watching in what is expected to be a fiercely-contested matchup of longtime rivals.

Parsons is currently leading the Cowboys defense in sacks this season, with 11.5 through 12 games, and he is a viable candidate to win Defensive Player of the Year.

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The two-time All-Pro won’t be the only one suiting up for Dallas tonight in less-than-ideal physical condition; head coach Mike McCarthy had his appendix removed in emergency surgery on Wednesday but says he will handle all his usual sideline and play-calling duties for Sunday night’s NFC East showdown.

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Saints injury report: Derek Carr, Taysom Hill among 9 questionable players vs. Panthers

Saints injury report: Derek Carr, Taysom Hill among 9 questionable players vs. Panthers

Let’s start with the good news: the New Orleans Saints ruled out just two players for Week 14’s home game with the Carolina Panthers due to injury, and they’re both rookies who haven’t seen the field much this year — defensive end Isaiah Foskey (quadricep) and running back Kendre Miller (ankle).

Now the bad news, and there’s a lot of it. Nine different Saints players are questionable to play on Sunday because of injuries. It’s a big group including quarterbacks Derek Carr (concussion/rib/right shoulder) and Taysom Hill (foot/left hand) as well as defensive end Cameron Jordan (ankle), wide receivers Rashid Shaheed (thigh) and Chris Olave (illness), tight end Juwan Johnson (quadricep), linebacker Pete Werner (shoulder/oblique), kicker Blake Grupe (right groin), and rookie guard Nick Saldiveri (shoulder).

Some players are trending in the right direction. Carr was upgraded to full practice reps on Friday after being limited earlier in the week and just needs to clear NFL concussion protocol to suit up. Grupe practiced fully all week and the Saints released his backup from the practice squad. Olave should be good to go if he can stay hydrated and rest up by Sunday’s kickoff.

But obviously it’s a fluid situation all around. We should expect final word when the inactives list is reported Sunday morning and it’s possible the Saints update some players’ statuses after the final walkthrough on Saturday. Here’s the full injury report from each team:

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Both of the Saints’ questionable players are active for Week 9 Bears game

The Saints listed two players as questionable for Sunday’s game with the Bears on the final injury report, but they’re both active and available:

Good news, everyone: both of the players listed on the New Orleans Saints injury report as questionable for Sunday’s game are active. Defensive tackle Malcolm Roach and rookie running back Kendre Miller were the latest personnel to miss time in practice while dealing with a virus that has been making its way through the team facility, but they’ll gut it out and dress for Week 9’s matchup with the Chicago Bears.

Roach has played well in a contract year, totaling 182 snaps at defensive tackle behind Nathan Shepherd (270), Bryan Bresee (245), and Khalen Saunders (242). He’s posted 22 combined tackles (7 solo, 3 tackles for loss) through the first eight games along with a pass deflection and several quarterback pressures.

Miller was slowed by a hamstring injury to start his first season as a pro, but he’s logged 82 snaps on offense in six games. The rookie has gained 83 rushing yards on 27 attempts (3.1 yards per carry) and caught 8 passes for 80 yards (10 yards per reception). His 163 scrimmage yards rank ninth among first-year running backs going into Week 9, but so do his 35 combined touches. He needs to show more of the big-play ability the Saints coveted from his college game tape.

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Chiefs WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling: Patrick Mahomes ‘is a competitor’ after playing through illness

#Chiefs WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling told reporters that Patrick Mahomes “is a competitior” after playing through illness against the #Broncos

While it would be impossible to pin the Kansas City Chiefs’ Week 8 loss to the Denver Broncos on any single factor, quarterback Patrick Mahomes’ illness certainly didn’t work in his team’s favor.

Veteran wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling commented on what the reigning MVP went through to play in the divisional matchup after the game’s conclusion and praised the toughness that Mahomes showed.

“[QB Patrick Mahomes] is a competitor,” Valdes-Scantling said. “He can have no legs and still try to run around and throw the football. As long as he can suit up, he’s going to be out there. He’s out there for a reason. We got the utmost confidence that he’s going to go out there and give it his all, and that’s what he did today.”

Mahomes may have given his all, but fans are sure to speculate about whether his condition should have warranted action for veteran backup Blaine Gabbert, who did not see the field.

Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes talks about playing sick, injuring hand vs. Broncos

Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes reveals health status after playing sick and hand injury

The Broncos knocked off the Kansas City Chiefs 24-9 in Week 8, snapping Denver’s 16-game losing streak against their division rivals. The game was a first for Patrick Mahomes as he suffered his first-ever road loss in the AFC West.

Mahomes started the day unexpectedly on the Chiefs’ injury report after it was announced that he was dealing with the flu. He struggled during the game and committed three turnovers, including losing his first fumble of the season. Mahomes provided details about his illness during his postgame press conference.

“Yeah, I just started feeling bad last night. But I’ve bounced back pretty well in the morning,” said Mahomes. “So, just kind of trying to do whatever I can to go out there and play my best football.”

As for the extent of the sickness, Mahomes quickly replied. “Yeah, just stomach stuff. You know. It is what it is.”

In the second half of Sunday’s game, Mahomes injured his left hand. The hand was cut and had to be covered with a glove for him to finish the game.

“Yeah, I don’t know exactly. From what it looks like, when it got stepped on,” said Mahomes. “I didn’t notice it until I started walking to the sideline after the fourth-down play. ”

The reigning league MVP has a long trip to Germany for next Sunday’s game to heal and help get the offense back on track against the Miami Dolphins in Week 9.

Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes added to the Week 8 injury report due to illness

Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes added to the Week 8 injury report due to illness

The Kansas City Chiefs have added a very significant name to their injury report ahead of today’s Week 8 matchup against the Denver Broncos. All-Pro starting quarterback Patric Mahomes is reportedly dealing with an illness as the team is set to play in snowy Denver this afternoon.

According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the reigning NFL Most Valuable Player is still expected to play later today. He is listed on the injury report but doesn’t have a game designation, clearing any doubts about his availability for the Chiefs’ latest AFC West battle.

“Patrick Mahomes has been battling the flu, source said.” posted Rapoport on his X account. “Better today than yesterday. He’ll play.”

The upbeat report of Mahomes possibly feeling better today is impactful as the Chiefs will deal with some precipitation at Empower Field at Mile High. Over six to fourteen inches of snow covered the city over the weekend as the matchup is expected to be the first snow game of the NFL season.

Saints dodge disaster with only one player out due to illness

The Saints had five players hit the injury report this week due to illness sweeping the facility, but only one of them (Jimmy Graham) was inactive Sunday:

There has been an illness going around the New Orleans Saints facility ahead of their game versus the Indianapolis Colts this week. It has run so rampant that it’s even went beyond just the players with head coach Dennis Allen gutting it out. Alvin Kamara battled the illness early in the week and was able to be taken off the injury report before Friday. The rest of the team wasn’t so fortunate.

On the final injury report, New Orleans had three players listed as questionable due to illness: Marcus Maye, Max Garcia and Jimmy Graham. Michael Thomas was also added to this list on Saturday, bringing the total to four Saints questionable due to illness. Despite the illness running through the locker room, Jimmy Graham is the only player who will miss the game due to illness.

Time will tell how impacted the players’ performance will be due to lingering effects of the illness, but they will be on the field. The Saints won’t have to deal with major holes at running back, wide receiver, safety or left guard, and that is a win. Hopefully everyone is able to play through what’s ailing them and help the team come away with a victory.

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Michael Thomas (illness) questionable vs. Colts in last-minute injury report update

The Saints say Michael Thomas (illness) is questionable against the Colts in a last-minute update to their Week 8 injury report:

he New Orleans Saints announced Saturday evening that wide receiver Michael Thomas was a last-minute addition to their injury report after coming down with an illness, and that he’s questionable to play in Week 8’s game against the Indianapolis Colts. Multiple Saints players and coaches have been dealing with an illness making its way through the facility this week.

That’s the bad news. The good news is that Thomas traveled to Indianapolis along with his nine teammates who were also questionable for the matchup, giving all of them a legitimate shot at suiting up on Sunday.

We’ll have to wait for the inactive list to be released 90 minutes prior to kickoff from Lucas Oil Stadium, but it’s a good sign that the Saints chose to not elevate anyone from their practice squad going into the game day. They must be optimistic that they’ll have all hands on deck.

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