NEW ORLEANS — As if the Saints needed another blow to an already depleted receiving corps...
ESPN reports that Saints tight end Adam Trautman will miss 4-6 weeks after sustaining an MCL sprain in the fourth quarter of Sunday's loss against the Philadelphia Eagles. Earlier in the game, Trautman caught a touchdown pass from quarterback Trevor Siemian, in the second quarter.
Trautman's injury is just another addition to an already depressingly long list of players the Black and Gold have lost this season due to injury. In Trautman's case, it's especially devastating given the team's stark lack of depth in the receiving corps.
The team has already lost All-Pro wide receiver Michael Thomas for the season, due to a setback in his recovery from an ankle injury he sustained early last season. All-Pro running back Alvin Kamara has also missed the last two games with a knee injury of his own. Other offensive pieces- including Deonte Harris, Tre'Quan Smith, and Taysom Hill, among others- have also missed time at points this season due to respective injuries of their own.
Trautman has had a rocky 2021 thus far. While he has had 25 catches this season, he has also been plagued with dropped passes and just caught his first touchdown of the campaign against the Eagles. Trautman also had a game-altering false start penalty on a two-point conversion attempt in the Saints' previous game against the Tennessee Titans.
Trautman's injury will almost certainly lead to an elevated role for Juwan Johnson, Garrett Griffin, and Nick Vannett, the three other tight ends the Saints currently have rostered.