The battle for a few roster spots at tight end narrowed down this week, when the New Orleans Saints placed tight end Garrett Griffin on injured reserve. Griffin had to be helped off the field with an ankle injury during the Saints’ preseason game against the New York Jets, and further evaluations in the medical tent sent team athletic trainers calling for a cart to take him to the locker room.
Griffin initially signed with the Saints as an undrafted rookie out of the Air Force Academy in 2016, spending his first few years on the practice squad. He was called up to the active roster shortly before the 2018 NFC championship game, in which he caught his first NFL touchdown pass. At the same time, Griffin signed a contract extension with the Saints that will keep him around through the 2020 season. That should give him some security as he spends the next year recovering from his injury, returning next offseason to compete again for a spot on the final roster.
In the meantime, the Saints have several promising options pursuing one or two openings. Jared Cook and Josh Hill are locked in as the top two tight ends on the depth chart; behind them, the Saints will have to look for improvement out of third-year pro (and second-year tight end convert) Dan Arnold, or pick a newcomer in veteran A.J. Derby or rookie draft pick Alize Mack. The Saints usually run three-deep at tight end, though they’ve carried as many as four at a time when pressed. Arnold, Derby, and Mack will get a chance to leave a lasting impression in the Saints’ preseason finale against the Miami Dolphins on Thursday.
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