Tag: knee

Kareem Hunt injury update: Latest news on Chiefs RB’s status

#Chiefs RB Kareem Hunt is dealing with a knee injury. Here are the latest updates.

Kareem Hunt was listed on the Kansas City Chiefs’ Wednesday injury report for Week 11 due to an issue with his knee.

Despite this latest setback, Hunt will likely be available for Kansas City’s matchup against the Buffalo Bills on Sunday.

Kareem Hunt injury update

Hunt was a full participant in Kansas City’s practice session on Wednesday, so his knee injury didn’t prevent him from getting reps in with his teammates.

How long will Kareem Hunt be out?

Hunt should be available to play against the Bills in Week 11. There has been no indication that his condition will interfere with his ability to remain the Chiefs’ starting running back.

Chiefs RB depth chart

Should Hunt suffer a setback in his recovery from this latest knee injury, Kansas City will have to rely on veteran Samaje Perine and rookie Carson Steele to lead its running game.

Isiah Pacheco, who was the Chiefs’ starting running back entering the regular season, returned to practice on Wednesday after a stint on Kansas City’s injured reserve list, but he isn’t expected to play against Buffalo on Sunday.

All-Pro Saints WR set to have meniscus surgery

New Orleans Saints All-Pro returns specialist Rashid Shaheed will have meniscus surgery, but the wide receiver isn’t a lock for injured reserve just yet.

The New Orleans Saints are set to receive yet another devastating blow to the offensive side of the ball, with wide receiver Rashid Shaheed scheduled to have meniscus surgery ahead of tomorrow’s game against the Denver Broncos.

Shaheed, who has made one explosive play after the other including a 54-yard punt return touchdown last week, was hurt late in the fourth quarter last week against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

It was reported by NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport that Shaheed’s availability for the rest of this season will be determined during his surgery. Whether Shaheed will need a full repair done to his knee or just a trim decides if his season is already over.

Shaheed will be heading to Los Angeles for his procedure tomorrow which means we’ll likely be updated on status within the coming days. Nevertheless, it’s a huge hit to an already depleted receiver room with Chris Olave also out with a concussion this week.

Reports: All-Pro Saints WR dealing with ‘concerning’ knee injury

Rashid Shaheed is dealing with a ‘concerning’ knee injury, per multiple reports. The Saints could be missing their two best wide receivers against the Broncos:

This isn’t what you want to see. NewOrleans.Football’s Nick Underhill and NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport each reported Monday that New Orleans Saints wide receiver Rashid Shaheed is dealing with a knee injury that may cause him to miss some time. Underhill added that Shaheed suffered the injury in the fourth quarter of Sunday’s loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

It’s definitely worth watching for updates on Shaheed’s status; Rapoport shared that his source called the receiver’s injury concerning, and that “His  status going forward is TBD.” Underhill says the Saints will know once Shaheed’s test results come in.

Losing him would all-but cripple the offense. Chris Olave is already out with  a concussion and is unlikely to clear protocol in time to play Thursday night against the Denver Broncos. That leaves veteran backup Cedrick Wilson Jr. on the 53-man roster with rookies Bub Means and Mason Tipton. The Saints would have to call up either Equanimeous St. Brown, Kevin Austin Jr., or Jermaine Jackson from the practice squad just to fill out the gameday lineup. You can see why the Saints have been trying so hard to trade for Davante  Adams.

On top of his duties as a receiver, Shaheed has won All-Pro and Pro Bowl  recognition for his skills as a returner. He just scored a touchdown on a 54-yard punt return to keep his team alive against the Buccaneers. You hope he doesn’t have to miss much time, but every game is critical after a 2-4 start.

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Tyjae Spears says he was ‘so, so hurt’ the Saints didn’t draft him

Tyjae Spears was one of many Saints fans disappointed to see them draft a different running back last year: ‘I was so, so hurt’

Add Tyjae Spears to the list of New Orleans Saints fans who were shocked to see the team pick a different running back in last year’s NFL draft. Now with the Tennessee Titans, Spears recounted his draft-day experience with ESPN’s Turron Davenport. The Saints passed on Spears with the No. 71 pick, which they used on Kendre Miller. Spears went to the Titans ten slots later at No. 81.

“I ain’t gonna lie, I’m gonna keep it real. I was so, so hurt that they didn’t draft me,” Spears reflected. He was disappointed to not get to play football for his hometown team, but he’s grateful to be where he is now. Spears continue, “I’m blessed. I’m used to this position, I’m right where I need to be. My family inside the building, my family at home, I’m good, man.”

There was a lot of buzz around the pick last offseason. Spears had said publicly that he’d be thrilled to turn pro in New Orleans after excelling at Tulane. The team’s running backs coach personally put Spears through a workout at the Green Wave pro day. It had the makings of a great story.

But Spears fell in the draft due to concerns about the long-term health of his knee, and the Saints drafted a player with more immediate injury problems instead. Miller was actively recovering from a knee injury when they picked him. He missed more time with leg and ankle issues throughout his rookie year, and he’s been sidelined since the first day of training camp with an injured hamstring.

Spears was active for all 17 games last season and played well in tandem with Derrick Henry, totaling 100 carries for 453 rushing yards while catching 52 passes for another 385 receiving yards. He’s expecting a heavier workload after Henry left in free agency this offseason.

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Saints took the cautious approach with Ryan Ramczyk’s surgery

Ryan Ramczyk took a caution approach in knee surgery out of the options available to him, but the New Orleans Saints right tackle still landed in a tight spot:

The Ryan Ramczyk injury and surgery saga has been a difficult one to watch unfold, as he will be missing the season after being placed on the reserve/physically unable to perform (PUP) list. However, there are still small glimmers of hope coming out of the New Orleans Saints front office and coaching staff, which could be a positive sign moving into next season.

Head coach Dennis Allen spoke to the media recently, telling ESPN’s Katherine Terrell that Allen saw two options for the surgery on Ramczyk. One option, according to Allen, was “A lot more yes or no, meaning, you do the procedure and if it responds right, it’ll be good. If you don’t, well, he’s done.”

However, Ramczyk took the more cautious approach of the two, which is a good sign. General manager Mickey Loomis also talked about Ramczyk’s status, saying, “If there was any way possible, he (Ramczyk) would be playing.” Loomis also said that he is “hopeful that things can turn around, and with a year off that his knee responds, and he can get back out here for us.”

These quotes both sound like there is a possible glint of hope for 2025 and Ramczyk having a return chance. Ultimately, he needs to put his health first no doubt, and if he feels he is ready next year then maybe the discussion could be had about working into a return. Still, it is nice to hear a positive update on this front regardless, both from the general manager and head coach, as they have significantly more context than the rest of us at this point in time. We’ll just have to wait and see whether Ramczyk can get back out there.

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Ryan Ramczyk won’t play football in 2024, NFL future in doubt

Ryan Ramczyk won’t play football in 2024, and his NFL future is in doubt. If he’s already played his last down, it’s a career he can be proud of:

We received the clearest indication yet that Ryan Ramczyk has already played his last down of pro football on Thursday. The New Orleans Saints placed their former All-Pro right tackle on the reserve/physically unable to perform (PUP) list, which carries an important distinction from the active/PUP list other players were designated to.

As observed by NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport, Ramczyk is a vested veteran (someone who has earned earned three or more credited seasons), and those vested veterans who have been placed on the reserve/PUP list before roster cuts on Aug. 27 are ineligible to play this season. His year is over.

“But his career for sure could be over now,” Rapoport said on NFL Network. “He is out for the season. He’s dealing with a knee issue and he of course has had some injury concerns over the years. But dealing with a knee issue now, they thought it was going to get better, they thought it was going to turn the corner, it just did not improve like the Saints and like Ramczyk had hoped.”

It’s possible that Ramczyk could bounce back after taking a year off, but he’s struggled to manage a degenerative knee condition and that’s unlikely to improve with time. At this point all he can realistically do is shed weight like many offensive linemen do after their playing careers are over, and formally file his retirement papers once the Saints are in a position to absorb it on the salary cap.

If this is it for Ramczyk, it’s a career he can be proud of. He only played a single season of Division I football in college before turning pro, having started at left tackle for Wisconsin after trying his hand at welding school, only to unexpectedly take over for an injured Zach Strief at right tackle during his first game as a rookie. Ramczyk immediately established himself as a top-five right tackle in the league and won three All-Pro nods in his seven-year career, starting every game he played. Few players retire without regrets, but Ramczyk got much closer than most. We’ll wish him well for whatever’s next.

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WATCH: Chiefs DL Charles Omenihu shows progress in recovery after knee injury

Check out this video of #Chiefs DL Charles Omenihu working out as he recovers from a serious knee injury.

The Kansas City Chiefs will rely on their defense in 2024 in their effort to make NFL history by winning a third consecutive Super Bowl championship.

While the unit’s strength is expected to lie in its secondary, Kansas City’s defensive line showed flashes of dominance last year, especially before Charles Omenihu’s season-ending knee injury in the AFC Championship Game.

Though he wasn’t on the field for Super Bowl LVIII, Omenihu was a key part of the Chiefs’ success in 2023. He seems primed for a triumphant return to action next season after he posted an encouraging update about his recovery on social media this week.

Though this heartening update is far from a guarantee that Omenihu will be ready to suit up for Kansas City’s season opener, it is a good indication that his rehab is progressing well and may prove to be a sign that he will be healthier sooner than some may think.

Saints land a top-flight right tackle in this ESPN mock draft

2024 NFL draft: ESPN projects Saints to pick Alabama right tackle JC Latham

It’s easy to see the New Orleans Saints picking an offensive lineman early in the 2024 NFL draft — their blocking took a big step back in recent years, and the future for both of the starting tackle spots is uncertain between Trevor Penning’s lack of development on the left side and Ryan Ramczyk’s injury history on the right.

But the question is going to be: which offensive lineman is right for New Orleans? Penning’s too-slow growth makes another project seem worrisome. Ideally the Saints could find a young, pro-ready player who can step in for Ramczyk and hold down one side of the line for years to come. The trouble is there’s a very narrow list of prospects who meet that description.

One such name to know: JC Latham. The Alabama Crimson Tide right tackle went to the Saints in the latest 2024 mock draft from ESPN’s Jordan Reid. Latham, who turns 21 in February, has more career snaps played in pass protection (1,016) than other offensive linemen in this draft class have totaled on both run and pass plays. Here’s why Reid says he’s a fit:

“The Saints have historically shown commitment to the trenches in the early rounds, and considering that Trevor Penning hasn’t lived up to his first-round billing and Ryan Ramczyk battled knee injuries this season, offensive tackle should be a high priority in New Orleans. Latham is a massive 6-foot-5, 350-pound player with power at the point of attack and good quickness. He is a dominant run blocker, able to take away defenders quickly once he gets his hands on them. If he lands in a scheme that prioritizes downhill running, Latham has the potential to be a reliable starter.”

Latham certainly looks like New Orleans’ type, and his experience at a top-tier college program suggests he won’t need as much help acclimating to life in the NFL as Penning or other players the Saints have drafted from smaller schools. One concern about Latham is the health of his left knee; he needed help leaving the field after a collision on the final play in the Rose Bowl left him with an injury. That’s something we may not get an update on until later in the pre-draft process, so stay tuned.

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Saints linebacker Nephi Sewell suffered season-ending ACL injury

This is a tough break for Nephi Sewell. The New Orleans Saints linebacker suffered a season-ending ACL injury during Week 17’s big road win:

This is a tough break for Nephi Sewell. The New Orleans Saints linebacker suffered a season-ending ACL injury during Week 17’s big road win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Sewell’s knee buckled on a non-contact play as he ran with a receiver in coverage on Alontae Taylor’s interception of Baker Mayfield, and he needed assistance leaving the field on a trainer’s cart. Saints head coach Dennis Allen confirmed the bad news on Monday when meeting with local media.

Sewell, 25, had played himself into a real role defensively as the top backup for middle linebacker Demario Davis. A former undrafted free agent out of Utah and one of three brothers in the NFL (along with Detroit Lions right tackle Penei Sewell and Chicago Bears linebacker Noah Sewell), he earned reps on defense by playing well on special teams as a rookie in 2022. This season he ranked fifth on the team in snaps played in the kicking game (266).

But the timing of this injury couldn’t be worse. It could take as many as nine months for Sewell to recover functionality in his knee, and it’ll take longer than that for him to regain trust in the surgically-repaired joint, as is the case for every athlete who experiences this type of injury. That’s going to cost him valuable snaps at practice throughout the offseason program and likely the beginning of training camp in July.

Still, Sewell has overcome adversity before, and he has a great support system. He overcame a serious neck injury in his junior year of high school, and he’s taken the hard road to the NFL as an undrafted player who had to earn his snaps. He’s still under contract for 2024 and should return with a good chance to contribute in the fall, but it’s going to be a while before fans see him out on the field goal. Here’s to a full and speedy recovery for him.

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Ryan Ramczyk weighing options with career-threatening injury

Ryan Ramczyk is managing a career-threatening knee injury. All options are on the table, including offseason surgery and an early retirement:

Ryan Ramczyk’s injured knee isn’t getting better. The New Orleans Saints right tackle spoke with reporters on Thursday and shared some insight on the uncertainty he’s facing after missing the last two games (and likely a third this week). All options are on the table. That includes offseason surgery and, worryingly, an early retirement.

The 29-year-old has been managing cartilage loss in his knee for years. He wasn’t able to play in seven games during the 2021 season because of it and was only able to suit up last season after receiving regular injections. This year he’s been given a rest day to start each week’s practice. But time and wear and tear have taken its toll. It’s a really tough break for a player who was so durable to start his career, having missed just one start in his first four years (when he and the rest of the starters were pulled from the meaningless 2018 season finale) before signing a landmark contract extension.

For now Ramczyk is trying to remain patient and follow doctor’s orders. He isn’t expected to play against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday and is considered week-to-week while resting and receiving treatment, so he at least has a shot at dressing out for the regular-season finale with the Atlanta Falcons.

But the future is unclear. Ramczyk’s career could be over. There’s a possibility he’ll have lifelong knee issues because of this injury. If so, that’s something he’s already accepted, telling ESPN’s Katherine Terrell that “it’s what we sign up for. It’s part of the game, the passion we have to put ourselves through this. It’s worth it.”

What happens if Ramczyk is forced into retirement? Right now, he’s got a salary cap hit counting for north of $27 million in 2024. If the Saints release him outright they would take on more than $32 million in dead money. Their most realistic path forward would be treating his retirement just like they did Drew Brees’ and Malcolm Jenkins’: reducing Ramczyk’s $17 million base salary to the veteran minimum (in his case, $1.21 million) and processing his release as a post-June 1 cut, spreading out the remaining payments from his signing bonus over the 2024 and 2025 seasons.

That would ultimately result in about $16.3 million in dead money for each of those years, saving $15.79 million against the cap in 2024. But it’s by no means a simple solution. The Saints would have to carry Ramczyk’s $32 million dead-money figure against the salary cap through the offseason up until June 2, limiting the moves they could make in free agency ahead of the draft.

Another possibility: asking Ramczyk to return some of his signing bonus. It’s a dirty move for someone who’s already experiencing something as difficult as the premature end of his playing career, but the NFL can be a cold business. There’s precedent for it with players like former San Francisco 49ers linebacker Chris Borland returning most of his signing bonus after a series of concussions, but some teams have taken players to arbitration over it. An arbitrator ruled that former Detroit Lions superstar Barry Sanders had to do just that, and another ex-Lions great, Calvin Johnson, publicly feuded with the team over a similar situation. None of those cases dealt with as much money as what sits between the Saints and Ramczyk. At the same time, an arbitrator may not rule in the team’s favor, making it a fruitless endeavor.

It’s unfortunate that this is what things have come to. Hopefully Ramczyk and the doctors he’s meeting with in the spring can find a way to better manage his knee and help him continue to play at a high level. But there’s a deadline. Ramczyk’s base salary includes $6.5 million that will become guaranteed on March 15 (the third day of free agency), and the Saints must reach salary cap compliance sooner than that, by March 13 (the start of the new league year). This won’t be a decision anyone involved can put off until the eleventh hour.

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