The New Orleans Saints‘ gutsy comeback vs. the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday was the talk of the town, but they picked up a rough injury along the way.
LT Kelvin Banks Jr. was carted off the field in the fourth quarter after landing awkwardly on his ankle on a third-and-19 play that also got Tyler Shough sacked. Banks held his ankle and couldn’t get up.
Saints Kelvin Banks Jr. Possibly Out for Weeks
NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported Monday that Banks’ injury is a high ankle sprain, one that takes a few weeks to heal.
“It always hurts when we lose guys,” Saints coach Kellen Moore said after the game, per ESPN’s Katherine Terrell. “Guys compete, and Kelvin’s got an ankle. We’ll see what this thing looks like tomorrow.”
While the team still assesses the severity of Banks’s injury, a high ankle sprain usually takes longer to heal. The Cardinals‘ Jeremiyah Love is just coming off one, and it took him about 4 weeks to return. Sure, timelines vary, but a high ankle sprain usually means the Saints are losing their left tackle for a stretch.
What remains to be seen now is whether Moore puts Kelvin Banks Jr. on injury reserve. If they do, he will miss 4 games minimum, creating an obvious gap in the offense just when it was picking up.
Saints Face Major Questions at Left Tackle
With Banks Jr. out, the Saints turned to swing tackle Asim Richards the rest of the way and scored touchdowns on their final two drives to stun the Ravens in their home opener.
Richards started four games last year and logged 363 snaps, the majority coming at right tackle in place of Taliese Fuaga. Richards was acquired via a trade with the Cowboys late in the 2025 preseason following an injury to Landon Young in exchange for a 2028 sixth-round pick.
While Richards took over Banks’ role Sunday, he becomes a solid replacement should Banks miss extended time. Flipping Taliese Fuaga to the left tackle and having Richers take over at RT is another way Moore could go.
Fuaga started 17 games at left tackle as a rookie in 2024 before being shifted back to his more natural RT spot prior to last season.
Trouble for Tyler Shough?
Who Dat Dish’s Drew Collings explains how losing Banks in Week 2 spells bad news for Shough.
“Losing Banks significantly hinders the Saints’ pass game,” Collings writes. “Tyler Shough will be under far more pressure, meaning there’s less time for the play to develop and make decisions. Additionally, the questions at tackle will force Kellen Moore to devote a tight end or running back to help mitigate the opposing edge rusher, delaying their route and making them a lesser receiving threat.”
“Beyond this, the rushing attack will be affected. The Saints have struggled to maintain a consistent run game in 2026, and losing Banks won’t help that. They won’t get the same push without him and must attack inside the tackles or on the right side.”
Even if Richards steps in to plug the hole, it doesn’t get any easier for the Saints. Next up is a date with Maxx Crosby, and opposing coordinators might already be drawing up ways to feast on that blindside vacancy.
Saints Hit With Crushing Injury Update on Kelvin Banks Jr. Coming Off Ravens Win