The New Orleans Saints felt like their plan was working, soft tissue injuries were within reasonable levels over the past two seasons. The same can't be said for 2024.
Soft tissue injuries have run rampant across this year's roster, and those are the ones the team feels like it has some control over. Kendre Miller missed all of training camp with a hamstring issue. ironman Demario Davis missed his first game due to injury in his career with a hamstring issue. Pete Werner went down during a Friday walkthrough and missed Week 5 due to, you guessed it, a hamstring issue.
There have been a host of other issues, be it groin, calf -- pick a muscle, it's likely we've seen it on the injury report. It's left the Saints looking for some answers.
“We’re in the process of gathering some information on that and I do think that’s an area that we’ve got to improve in," Allen said this week during a press conference largely centered on an injury to starting QB Derek Carr, because certainly we’ve had our fair share of injuries and so I think we’d be crazy not to look into trying to figure out the reasons why, and see if we can’t solve some of those issues.”
That research will most likely fall on the shoulders of Sports Science Director Matt Rhea, who has been with the team since 2022 and was one of the earliest hires of Allen's coaching era.
Injuries, including the ones listed above, have made life difficult and contributed significantly to what is currently a three-game losing streak. To end that they'll have to rely on several backups, including rookie quarterback Spencer Rattler, in Week 6. Center and team leader Erik McCoy will miss his third consecutive game after having groin surgery. RG Cesar Ruiz looks on track to his third consecutive game, while TE Taysom Hill -- battling a rib issue -- appears likely to miss a second consecutive game. Allen said Wednesday that Will Harris is a candidate to land on injured reserve due to a hamstring injury suffered during the loss to the Chiefs.
The Saints have had 17 players ruled out prior to gametime over the first five weeks, not including players like McCoy or Kendre Miller, who are currently on IR.
It seems at least one product of that search for answers is to get in more work outside on natural grass, which has been shown to be a more favorable surface to avoid injuries and aid in recovery. It's always a balance in going outside, Allen said, because the south Louisiana heat and humidity certainly doesn't aid in recovery, and that doesn't subside until you get well into the NFL season. The Saints practiced outside ahead of an outdoor matchup with the Chiefs, and they've continued to do so even with the next two games set to be played inside the Caesars Superdome on Sunday and the ensuing Thursday.
"This year has been a little bit of an anomaly, so that’s something that we’re kind of doing some research in," Allen said, "gathering information and seeing what we can do to minimize those things.”
