Is Harrison Butker playing today? Injury updates for Chiefs kicker

#Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker is dealing with a knee injury. Here are the latest updates.

The Kansas City Chiefs have been without starting kicker Harrison Butker since he underwent surgery earlier this month.

Butker was placed on Kansas City’s injured reserve list, and replaced by Spencer Shrader, who took over as the Chiefs’ starting kicker but has since been injured himself.

Veteran boot Matthew Wright will be Kansas City’s starting kicker on Friday when the Chiefs face the Las Vegas Raiders.

Harrison Butker injury update

Butker is dealing with a knee injury and remains on Kansas City’s injured reserve list.

How long will Harrison Butker be out?

Butker is expected to miss at least a few more weeks while he recovers from his surgery.

Chiefs kicker depth chart

In Butker’s absence, Wright will be the Chiefs’ starting kicker on Friday, but fans should expect Shrader to resume the role next week if he has recovered from the hamstring injury he sustained after Kansas City’s win over the Carolina Panthers.

Week 13 Saints-Rams injury report keeps getting shorter

The injury report keeps getting shorter. Just six players were listed by New Orleans after Wednesday’s practice session ahead of Saints-Rams in Week 13:

The changes interim head coach Darren Rizzi made to the New Orleans Saints practice routine are working. Just six players were listed on the initial Week 13 injury report ahead of their upcoming game with the Los Angeles Rams, making it one of the shortest injury reports (if not the shortest) we’ve seen in years.

Two of them didn’t practice on Wednesday, but they’re both starting offensive linemen. Rizzi had indicated the team would take things slowly with Erik McCoy (groin) after his recent return from injured reserve, but left guard Lucas Patrick (calf) didn’t get on the field, either. Two more were each limited — tight end Foster Moreau (shoulder) and running back Jamaal Williams (groin).

And two other Saints players practiced on a full day of reps while working their way back from injury. Linebacker Pete Werner (hand) has been on the mend while defensive lineman Tanoh Kpassagnon (Achilles) is trending towards making his debut after an offseason injury started his season on the physically unable to perform list.

The Rams didn’t share an injury report on Wednesday, so we’ll have to wait and hear from them later this week. Stay tuned.

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Chris Olave ‘in a good place’ after second concussion in 2024

Saints coach Darren Rizzi said this week that Chris Olave is “in a good place” after his second concussion of 2024. But he’s no sure thing to return this season:

Has Chris Olave already caught his last pass with the New Orleans Saints this season? It’s certainly possible. The standout wide receiver suffered two concussions in his first eight games and was put on injured reserve, and there’s currently no timetable for him to return to the field. At least not in pads and a helmet. Olave was spotted at the Saints practice facility this week spectating and dapping up teammates, but he’s not ready to run routes and take on contact.

Interim head coach Darren Rizzi shared an update on Olave’s status after practice on Tuesday.

“He’s still going through that whole process. He’s met with a bunch of people, he’s got another meeting coming up here next week. He’s met with some different specialists throughout the country,” Rizzi said, adding that Olave had another specialist visit lined up later this week. “He’s in a good place.”

The soonest Olave could return is Week 15’s home game with the Washington Commanders (which would set him up for a matchup with his former teammate Marshon Lattimore), but that might be overly ambitious. Rizzi emphasized that Olave’s wellbeing, not his availability on the field, is the greater concern here. A rapid series of brain injuries like this can have serious, lifelong implications.

“Him and I the last couple days had great conversations. He’s feeling a lot better. With that kind of injury, you just want to make sure you’re doing the right thing by the person,” Rizzi continued, “We’ll have a lot more information on him next week.”

So we’ll see if Olave returns this year, but it’s clear his coach won’t be rushing him back into action. That’s the right approach. If Olave decides to put his body in harm’s way again, that’s his decision to make. Kudos to Rizzi and the team for recognizing that.

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Nephi Sewell voted as the Saints’ Ed Block Courage Award winner

Nephi Sewell has been voted in as the New Orleans Saints’ Ed Block Courage Award winner for the 2024 season after returning from a serious knee injury:

The New Orleans Saints have voted for their 2024 Ed Block Courage Award winner, and this year the recipient will be third-year linebacker Nephi Sewell. Sewell has been on the long road to recovery from an ACL injury back in Week 17 of the 2023 season, and was able to suit up for his first game of the 2024 season in Week 11 against the Cleveland Browns. His recovery, work ethic, and perseverance are listed as the reasons for why he was voted by his teammates, and he is absolutely deserving of this honor with how difficult the recovery from ACL injuries are.

Some of the recent previous winners of this award for the Saints include:

  • 2023: TE Foster Moreau
  • 2022: QB Jameis Winston
  • 2021: LB Kwon Alexander
  • 2020: OT Terron Armstead
  • 2019: DT Sheldon Rankins

Another notable appearance from this award was in 2005, when the entire New Orleans Saints team won the award due to their resilience in the face of Hurricane Katrina, and performance in the face of extreme adversity. Many other Saints greats have been nominated as well, including (but not limited to) Marques Colston, Mark Ingram, Jimmy Graham, Deuce McAllister, Sam Mills, Rickey Jackson, and many others. In addition, Tyrann Mathieu has also received the award back in 2014 when he was with the Arizona Cardinals. This award is a huge honor in the NFL, and is a testament to the courage and commitment of players to both the game of football and their communities.

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Chris Olave still consulting specialists to treat his concussion symptoms

Chris Olave has dealt with many concussions in his New Orleans Saints career. His most recent injury has him visiting with specialists:

Chris Olave was seen at practice on Tuesday, but that isn’t necessarily a sign of his return being imminent. By the sounds of things, the New Orleans Saints wide receiver missing the remainder of the season is still a good possibility.

Darren Rizzi shared an update on Olave’s progress: “He’s met with a bunch of people, he’s got another meeting coming up here next week. He’s met with some different specialists throughout the country.”

New Orleans is rightfully being cautious with Olave, who is currently on injured reserve.

Olave suffered a concussion against the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 10. It was his second concussion of the season and fourth of his three-year professional career. The severity may have been the same, but the aftermath of this one looked the worse visually of all his concussions.

Rizzi insists Olave is in a good place. With emphasis being on the person over the player, that’s a positive sign. This upcoming meeting appears to be a big one in understanding what Olave’s immediate future looks like. The Saints will “have a lot more information on him next week.”

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Recently-cut Saints center already reunites with his old team

The Saints waived Erik McCoy’s replacement Connor McGovern when the starter returned from injury, but McGovern is already back with his old team:

Some New Orleans Saints fans questioned the decision to waive Connor McGovern, and this development makes those concerns look warranted. McGovern emerged as the best candidate to replace Erik McCoy at center when the Pro Bowler missed a month-plus with a groin injury — but when McCoy returned from injured reserve, the Saints let McGovern go. And the next day he returned to the New York Jets, who claimed him off of waivers.

Remember, the Saints cut second-year wide receiver A.T. Perry to make room for McGovern in the first place, having signed him off the Jets practice squad. Moving on from that proven veteran at this point felt a little premature, and that only looked worse when McCoy exited his first game back after aggravating that groin injury. Fortunately, he’s expected to be fine when players return from their time off during the bye week.

Still — unless this was a case of McGovern asking for his release, you have to wonder if he was the best option to let go. He’s been better in the middle than other players on the roster like Shane Lemieux or Landon Young. There are guys at other positions who aren’t contributing much on Sundays. But the Saints clearly felt this was their best path forward. Let’s just hope it doesn’t come back to haunt them.

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Saints coach Darren Rizzi shares update on Erik McCoy injury

Darren Rizzi shared an update on Monday regarding the status of center Erik McCoy, who exited Sunday’s game with an injury:

Darren Rizzi provided an update on Monday regarding the status of center Erik McCoy, who went down during the Saints’ 35-14 win over the Cleveland Browns on Sunday with a groin injury.

It was his first game back after missing seven games due to the same injury, but he re-aggravated it here.

Ahead of the bye week on the horizon, Rizzi indicated that McCoy “went through a bunch of tests” and that the team was using caution in this situation.

He noted it was a positive thing that the Saints had a bye week to rest up, but made it clear McCoy would be fine regardless.

The importance of McCoy is not to be underestimated when it comes to keeping veteran quarterback Derek Carr upright, and that’s something the quarterback paid respect to in the week leading up to the game when he met with the media.

“He can fix problems on the fly, things no one will ever see, no one will ever know, handling the un-scouted looks and then winning his matchups,” Carr said. “For a QB, it’s nice when he’s there, because you know exactly what you’re getting.”

Expect McCoy to be back in the fold at full capacity when the Saints continue the 2024 schedule against the Los Angeles Rams. Kickoff is set for 3:05 p.m. CT in the Caesars Superdome on Dec. 1.

Saints activate a Pro Bowler in their last-second Week 11 roster moves

The Saints’ last-second roster moves for Week 11 included the return of a Pro Bowler. Erik McCoy will start at center against the Browns:

The New Orleans Saints made a few roster moves ahead of Sunday’s game against the Cleveland Browns. Pro Bowl center Erik McCoy and linebacker Nephi Sewell have been activated from injured reserve and the physically unable to perform lists, while wide receiver Jermaine Jackson has been waived to make room.

The biggest move was McCoy returning to the lineup. McCoy emerged as arguably the second-most important offensive piece when he went out with injury. But Sewell had a key role to play defensively last year on passing downs until he went down with a serious knee injury. Now he’s making his debut and McCoy is returning to anchor the offensive line.

Waiving Jackson was an interesting choice. He was your return specialist since Rashid Shaheed went down with injury. He wasn’t a huge part of the passing game, and New Orleans opted to elevate Kevin Austin and Dante Pettis from the practice squad.

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Will DeAndre Hopkins play this week? Injury updates for Chiefs WR

Chiefs WR DeAndre Hopkins is dealing with a knee injury. Here are the latest updates.

Starting wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins was added to the Kansas City Chiefs injury report in Week 11 ahead of their tilt against the Buffalo Bills.

The Chiefs will need every available player for this highly anticipated showdown, is Hopkins expected to play?

DeAndre Hopkins injury update

Hopkins is listed with a knee injury, but the team hasn’t indicated his condition will limit the veteran wideout’s ability play.

He is likely to be removed from the injury report in Week 12.

How long will DeAndre Hopkins be out?

Hopkins is expected to play against the Bills on Sunday. He did not miss any practices this week and was a full participant in all three days of the team’s drills in preparation for Buffalo.

Chiefs WR depth chart

While Hopkins is likely to start against Buffalo, he could see a load reduction against the Bills due to the return of JuJu Smith-Schuster, who was absent from his starting role in Week 10 due to a hamstring injury. Xavier Worthy will also be available to make receptions for Kansas City’s offense on Sunday, alongside Mecole Hardman and Justin Watson.

Marshon Lattimore to miss his second game after being traded from Saints

Marshon Lattimore won’t make his Washington Commanders debut just yet. The former Saints cornerback is going to miss his second game since being traded:

Washington Commanders fans celebrated their team making the league’s biggest move at the NFL trade deadline, but they’ll have to wait another week to get their first look at Marshon Lattimore. The former New Orleans Saints cornerback is still dealing with a hamstring injury that sidelined him for last Sunday’s game. Washington head coach Dan Quinn announced Wednesday that Lattimore won’t be able to play on Thursday night, either.

Hamstring issues have trailed Lattimore since his college days at Ohio State; it’s one reason he fell to the Saints in the 2017 NFL draft in the first place. They’ve continued to afflict Lattimore throughout his pro career including earlier this season.

Still, it’s a disappointing turn for a great talent. When he’s healthy and locked in there isn’t a better cover corner in the game than Lattimore. That’s why the Commanders traded so many draft picks to acquire him at the deadline. It’s on the Saints to make the most of those resources and prove that trading Lattimore when they did was worth it.

So will he be on the field when the Commanders visit the Caesars Superdome next month? That feels likely. By now it’s obvious there was nothing to the speculation suggesting Lattimore was taking his time recovering from injury to put pressure on New Orleans into trading him, but he should be fully recovered by the time he makes his return on Dec. 15, barring a setback. We’ll keep an eye on his progress but for now the Saints must focus on their next opponent, not one they’ll see a month from now.

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