The New Orleans Saints are going to be without five-time Pro Bowl guard Trai Turner for the entire 2023 NFL season. Just days after he signed with his hometown team, Turner tore his quadriceps during training camp practice on Friday and is lost for the 2023 campaign.
This is a massive blow for a 30-year-old Turner who had to wait until the start of training camp to sign with a team despite earning five Pro Bowl trips in nine NFL seasons.
A third-round pick of the Carolina Panthers out of LSU back in 2014, Turner earned these five trips to the Pro Bowl during a six-year span to begin his career. He’s played for three different teams — the Los Angeles Chargers, Pittsburgh Steelers and Washington Commanders — over the past three seasons.
From a Saints perspective, they signed Turner to provide some depth at guard. Andrus Peat is slated to start on the left side. The 29-year-old former first-round pick from Stanford has missed 17 games to injury over the past three seasons. Meanwhile, another former first-round pick in Cesar Ruiz is set to start at right guard after transitioning from center during his college days at Michigan.
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New Orleans Saints 2023 record: 7-10, third place in the NFC South
Dennis Allen’s squad doesn’t necessarily have depth at guard now that Trai Turner is lost for the season. Former Oregon star Calvin Throckmorton has started 20 games in two seasons. He has struggled with false start penalties (nine) during that span.
If the Saints are to get back into the playoff conversation this coming season, protection in front of new quarterback Derek Carr will be key. We’ll see how this plays out ahead of New Orleans’ Week 1 matchup against the Tennessee Titans.