Saints defensive end Payton Turner was a bright spot of the preseason, but he quickly went to the forgotten man in Week 1 after going down with a significant turf toe injury.
The former first-round pick has spent that past 16 weeks working back, but he'll return to the active roster this week and is expected to play in the Week 18 showdown with the Falcons.
“I’ve been chomping at the bit since September to get back," Turner said. "So it was just kind of a thing where I wasn’t quite ready, I was making progress, still soreness and stuff, you know, but at this point in the season nobody is at 100%, so if I can go out there and play and contribute then I’m going to go out there and play and contribute.”
Injuries have been a near constant theme for Turner since he joined the Saints in 2021. He's been productive when on the field with 3 sacks and 29 tackles, but has only appeared in 14 games over three seasons.
Turner was one of the highlights throughout camp and the preseason slate, and was one of just a handful of players to not miss a single camp practice prior to the injury in the opening win against the Titans. Linebacker Nephi Sewell, who suffered a significant knee injury in the Week 17 win over the Bucs, has been sent to injured reserve to clear a roster spot.
"Obviously it didn’t go the way I wanted it to," Turner said. "I think I did everything I could to put myself in position for it to go the way I wanted it to. It’s frustrating, of course, but like I said last time, out of that frustration came a lot of focus, just to get back and get back to playing, so I’m excited for Sunday.”
The xx-year-old said he's not sure if he'll be on a pitch count of any kind, but he'll find out on gameday. Regardless anything he can provide will be a nice boost for a pass rush group that has asserted itself in recent weeks, most recently harassing QB Baker Mayfield throughout a sound win in Week 17. That result set up this week's showdown with the Falcons, the winner of which will retain a chance at the NFC South crown if the Bucs fall to the Panthers.
“It’s exciting," Turner said. "It’s everything you want to come back for, so just to have this opportunity in front of me, I think is big for me to get the most of it.”
