A frustrating run of injuries has continued for Saints defensive end Payton Turner, with the former first-round pick expected to face another extended absence.
Turner left early in a win over the Titans win an injury that has been diagnosed as turf toe, according to a report from Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network. The injury will require surgery and will sideline the 24-year-old for an extended period.
Flashing often when on the field, Turner has only managed to appear in 14 games over his three seasons in the NFL due to a variety of injuries. His injury came after he put pressure on Ryan Tannehill to force a third down incompletion. He walked off with trainers and did not return to the game.
Turf toe is a painful injury that stems from a hyperextension and damage to the ligament connecting the big toe to the foot. The injury is a frustrating result for the young player, who had made it through training camp without any injury issues for the first time in his career, appearing in every practice and preseason game and showing clear improvement.
There's a wide range for turf toe recovery timelines, but after surgery it is measured in months, rather than weeks. Saints LT Trevor Penning suffered a turf toe injury in the preseason finale a year ago and underwent surgery, ultimately returning in Week 12 and after about 3 months. Turner is almost certainly headed to injured reserve, and a return could potentially be targeted in the range of Week 13 or 14 barring any setbacks.
Turner had been a key part of a defensive end rotation featuring himself, Cam Jordan, Carl Granderson and Tanoh Kpassagnon. In his absence there will likely be more opportunity for rookie second-round pick Isaiah Foskey, who was a healthy scratch in Week 1.
