The Saints offense has been through a lot this season, and it’s only been six weeks. Michael Thomas appeared to be making a great comeback from a two year long saga that involved multiple ankle injuries and surgeries. Unfortunately he is on track to miss a fourth straight game on Thursday night due to a foot (or toe?) injury. As of Tuesday he had not returned to practice. According to the Inside Injuries algorithm his Injury Risk remains incredibly High (33%), and his HPF (projected performance) is Poor. Our projections show that his HPF will improve ahead of week 8, but he shouldn’t play on Thursday night.
Then there’s Jameis Winston. He suffered multiple back fractures, an ankle sprain and a hip injury in the first few weeks of the season. Winston tried to play through them but didn’t look good doing it, so they shut him down for a few weeks so he could get healthy. When he isn’t injured Winston is clearly a better option than Andy Dalton, but he needs to be comfortable and able to protect himself. Winston also suffered a torn ACL that ended his 2021 season, so there’s a lot going on with his body. It might not be in week 7, but he is close to a return.
And finally some good news. Chris Olave has cleared concussion protocol! The promising rookie was diagnosed with a concussion in week 5 and missed week 6. As of Tuesday Olave says he is cleared, meaning he will suit up on Thursday. Olave has 25 receptions for 389 yards and 2 TDs through his first five NFL games. Olave is a must-start in all leagues when he is active, although his Injury Risk remains Elevated. This is normal when returning from a head injury as multiple concussions in a short period of time is very concerning.
