A short week makes it harder on everyone in the NFL, including the training staff. Because the New Orleans Saints are facing such a brief turnaround between Sunday’s loss to the Kansas City Chiefs and Friday’s matchup with the Minnesota Vikings, they just held a walkthrough instead of a full-contact practice session on Tuesday. That meant the team doctors had to estimate participation for various players listed on the injury report.
And it means defensive end Trey Hendrickson was a late addition to the Tuesday injury report, which the Saints later announced. Hendrickson exited the Chiefs game with a neck injury, and after reconsideration the Saints’ doctors estimated that it would have limited him in practice on Tuesday. We’ll have a better idea of his status following Wednesday’s practice.
Hendrickson, 26, has enjoyed a breakout year with the Saints in 2020. He’s tied with Los Angeles Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald for the second-most sacks in the NFL (12.5), trailing only Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker T.J. Watt (13.0). 2020 is also the final year of Hendrickson’s low-cost rookie contract, meaning he’s set for a big deal in the spring — either via an extension with New Orleans, a lucrative free agent offer from another team, or possibly a fully-guaranteed franchise tag. Hopefully he can remain healthy and cash in on a well-deserved pay day.
