DE Payton Turner resumed Saints practice Friday. Here’s what that means.
The New Orleans Saints could be getting pass rushing help sooner rather than later.
The Saints opened the 21-day practice window Friday for defensive end Payton Turner, who practiced for the first time since suffering a toe injury in New Orleans’ season opener against the Tennessee Titans. The 2021 first-round draft pick has been on injured reserve since then and would need to be activated off the list in order to participate.
But Turner’s return to practice is an encouraging sign for the Saints, whose pass rush could urgently use a boost. New Orleans has the eighth-fewest sacks in the NFL this season with 33 and has suffered with numerous injuries along the defensive line.
“He won’t play this week, but it’s time to get him going through some football activities, so we opened up the window,” Saints coach Dennis Allen said, later adding, “we’ll just kind of see how the process goes. I do think he’s closer being ready to leave, but when that is, I can’t tell you that.”
The Saints now have three weeks to determine whether to activate Turner off injured reserve. If they don’t, he’ll be done for the season.
In addition to Turner, defensive ends Cam Jordan (ankle) and Isaiah Foskey (quad) have been limited in recent weeks. Though Jordan hasn’t missed a game, the veteran has only two sacks this season. Foskey, a second-round rookie, has zero sacks and will miss the fourth of the last five games Sunday with his damaged quad.
Turner recorded three sacks in his first two seasons.
Turner told reporters that the turf toe he was dealing with was “as bad as it gets,” saying he dislocated two toes.
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