Saints Place T Ryan Ramczyk On IR
Barring a deep postseason run on the part of the Saints, Ryan Ramczyk‘s season has come to an end. The veteran right tackle was placed on injured reserve Saturday, per a team announcement.
Ramczyk has been suffering with a knee ailment which has forced him to miss the past two games. Today’s move comes after he was unable to practice at any time this week, so it is quite unsurprising. Moving to IR assures at least a four-week layoff, thus the 29-year-old will not be eligible to return until at least the divisional round of the postseason.
Reaching that point will be a chore for New Orleans, one of three teams still in the running for the top slot in the NFC South. Sitting at 7-8 on the season, though, the Saints trail the rising Buccaneers for the division lead. A wild-card berth will also be difficult to secure given the team’s place in the standings and the expanding list of starters slated to miss the balance of the campaign.
Both cornerback Marshon Lattimore and wideout Michael Thomas are not expected to return before the end of the regular season as they recover from their separate injuries. Their absences will hamper New Orleans’ chances of winning a postseason place, and the team’s poor offense will stay shorthanded without Ramczyk in the fold. The latter has started all 12 games he has played this season, remaining one of the league’s top tackles by collecting a PFF rating of 73.5.
That statistic reflects the lowest of the former All-Pro’s career, a sign of his constant high-level play when healthy. Ramczyk is under contract through 2026, and his most recent restructuring leaves him with cap hits above $25MM in each of the following three seasons. A return to full health will thus be essential for him and the squad this offseason. 2021 sixth-rounder Landon Young is in place to complete the season as New Orleans’ right tackle starter.
To fill Ramczyk’s roster position, the Saints signed fellow O-lineman Cameron Erving to the active roster. He had been on the team’s practice squad since October, and he had made one appearance to date with New Orleans. Erving, 31, has played 96 games (57 starts) across his stint with five teams in the league. He will give seasoned depth up front for the Saints as the team’s playoff push near it closing stage.
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