The New Orleans Saints are sending two more players to injured reserve and have added two in their place ahead of Week 14.
Safety Marcus Maye missed Week 13 with an injury and has been sent to IR, while DT Malcolm Roach suffered a knee injury late in the loss to the Lions and also appears done for the year. Maye could potentially return in Week 17 if healthy enough to do so.
The Saints didn't waste any time filling those roster spots, claiming linebacker Monty Rice off of waivers from the Titans and signing DT P.J. Mustipher off the Broncos practice squad.
Rice has appeared in 35 games for the Titans since being selected in the third round out of Georgia in 2021. He's logged 128 tackles, 5 TFLs and 2 passes defensed. Mustipher was signed as a UDFA out of Penn State by Denver this season and has yet to appear in an NFL game.
For Maye the injury will most likely end what has been an absent-laden two-year run since signing in free agency ahead of the 2022 season. He was suspended three games earlier this year and has played in just 17 of 29 possible games, logging 97 tackles, 4 passes defensed, 2 interceptions and 1 fumble recovery.
Roach, a Baton Rouge native who has been with the Saints since signing as a UDFA in 2020, appeared in all 12 games prior to his innjury, logging 38 tackles and a QB hit.
The pair joins an IR group that has grown quickly in the past few weeks, with WR Michael Thomas and CB Marshon Lattimore heading there ahead of Week 13. DE Payton Turner has been on IR since Week 1 and is eligible to return when healthy.
The Saints will likely have to lean more heavily on a pair of rookies to pick up the slack in safety Jordan Howden and Bryan Bresee, both of whom have had steady roles throughout the year.
