The New Orleans Saints designated veteran pass rusher Noah Spence to the reserve/non-football injury list, as first reported by ESPN’s Field Yates and confirmed by The Athletic’s Katherine Terrell. Terrell added that this opened a roster spot for the team to officially sign Anthony Chickillo.
It’s an odd move for Spence, who finished the 2019 season on the Saints’ roster without any notable injuries. Initially signed after starting defense end Marcus Davenport was lost to injured reserve, Spence was a backup for New Orleans who was never activated for a game.
But keeping him on the non-football injury list allows Spence to remain in contact with the Saints over the summer, and potentially return for training camp if his body allows it. Last year, rookie linebacker Chase Hansen spent the year on this same list while recovering from offseason back surgery. Without further details on Spence, we simply can’t say for certain when he’ll be back. In the meantime, he won’t count against the 90-man roster,
Update: NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported that Spence tore his ACL while preparing for training camp, privately working out during a time in which he’d normally be in New Orleans going through organized team activities. It’s a big blow for Spence personally, but at least he’ll still be involved in day-to-day operations with the Saints once the season starts.
As for Chickillo: the former Pittsburgh Steelers special teams ace figures to push Saints draft pick Zack Baun in training camp. Baun’s unique skills set as a versatile playmaker at the line of scrimmage isn’t really shared by other teammates, so while he should be expected to beat Chickillo in camp he’ll at least have someone to work against. But don’t sleep on Chickillo’s NFL experience giving him an edge over other backups looking for a roster spot.
