The New Orleans Saints earned their third consecutive win this past weekend against the New York Jets, and in that game, they had to overcome numerous injuries. Some of the most important offensive players were out, but the defense was relatively healthy.
In week 17, the Saints have a more formidable opponent in the Tennessee Titans, and it seems New Orleans’ string of bad injury luck has continued.
The Saints’ First Injury Report of Week 17
Last week’s injury report was long, but this week’s is even worse. Starting with the full participants at today’s practice, QB Tyler Shough was listed with a hip injury, WR Chris Olave was listed with a back injury, and OT Asim Richards was listed with an ankle injury.
First official Saints-Titans practice report of the week pic.twitter.com/E5n9oJT2nf
— Mike Triplett (@MikeTriplett) December 24, 2025
Looking at the other injury designations, WR Mason Tipton and DT Nathan Shepherd were limited participants, OG Cesar Ruiz, TEs Foster Moreau and Zaire Mitchell-Paden, RB Alvin Kamara, and DTs Davon Godchaux (on his scheduled rest day) and Bryan Bresee were all out of the practice.
New Orleans Needs Alvin Kamara’s Return
One of the main weaknesses of last week’s game was the running game, and the main reason was a lack of talent. Rookie RB Devin Neal (who is out for the rest of the season) and Kamara were both ruled out for that game, and it showed how much the Saints missed them. This week’s issue won’t be as easy.
The Titans have one of the best defensive linemen in the NFL, Jeffery Simmons. He is ranked first in PFSN’s DT Impact Metric, and Simmons can dominate any offensive line in the league. If the Saints want to avoid letting Simmons stop the offense, they need an RB capable of overcoming that challenge.
In addition to running against Simmons, getting a capable rusher will allow the passing game to open up a bit and prevent Simmons from hitting Shough. The Saints’ interior offensive line has not been good this season, and Simmons could be the reason New Orleans loses this game, especially without Kamara.
