Saints center Erik McCoy is expected to miss time with an arm injury for the third consecutive season.
Head coach Kellen Moore confirmed the injury on Monday after the Saints' 23-22 win over the Steelers, which McCoy departed midway through the fourth quarter. He was treated for the injury and initially returned to the game for a series before being replaced by William Sherman for the final two drives.
“We anticipate Erik being out for a little bit," Moore said. "We’ll manage that kind of on a weekly basis and we’ll kind of see how this thing goes. Not a long-term thing, but might be a little missed time.”
Moore said the belief is that McCoy will not require surgery and the injury will not be season-ending, but doctors are still assessing and finalizing a plan. That initial news is positive, considering McCoy did suffer a season-ending biceps injury a season ago. That injury, suffered early in a Week 7 loss to the Bears, included a ruptured tendon and required surgery.
McCoy, 29, was a second round pick out of Texas A&M in 2019 and has been the team's starting center since Week 1 of his rookie season. He appeared in all 32 games over his first two NFL seasons and played in all 17 games in 2023, but he's been limited to just 22 of 42 possible games since the start of the 2024 season.
The news will be frustrating for an offensive line group that got its starting five on the field for the first time since Week 2, with Kelvin Banks returning at left tackle after 6 games missed recovering from ankle surgery. Sherman played well in relief, with the Saints going on a pair of touchdown drives to take the lead late in regulation and overtime. Sherman did not play center until arriving at the NFL level and won the Saints backup job with a strong camp.
"It was clean," Saints QB Tyler Shough said about the operation with Sherman taking over. "We practice that a lot. I was able to get snaps with him throughout the week. It just shows his preparation, show who he is. He was unfazed."
It is unclear at this point, assuming Sherman remains the starter, who would serve as the backup. The Saints have until 4 p.m. on Tuesday if they seek to add center depth via the trade market. One player who is unavailable to bring back is Torricelli Simpkins, who worked at center for the Saints throughout the preseason. He will be back in the Caesars Superdome next week, though, as a member of the Panthers roster.
Last year's fill-in center after McCoy's injury was Luke Fortner, who was acquired by trade from the Jaguars late in the preseason. He is now the Panthers' starting center after signing a free agent deal there in the offseason.
The Saints (3-5) will host the Panthers (3-5) at noon, Sunday, with the winner taking over sole control of the NFC South lead.
