Browns Received Trade Offers For QB Dillon Gabriel; Shedeur Sanders Suffers Injury
Taking the rare step of drafting multiple quarterbacks in the same class, the Browns are in the latter stages of one of the more unusual competitions at the position in modern NFL history. As it stands, Joe Flacco is leading the way.
Even that is rather interesting, seeing as the former Super Bowl MVP is 40 and has not started a season opener as a non-injury fill-in (as he was with the 2022 Jets) since beginning the 2019 season as the Broncos’ starter. Flacco is on track to join Aaron Rodgers, Tom Brady, Drew Brees, Vinny Testaverde (Cowboys), Warren Moon (Seahawks), Johnny Unitas (Chargers) and Charlie Conerly (Giants) as QBs to open a season as a starting quarterback at 40 or older. Flacco’s age certainly points to his starter stint not lasting too long, shifting focus to the team’s two rookies.
Both Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders‘ rookie contracts run through 2028. The Browns are likely to have both players on their depth chart, barring an IR stay for one of them, behind Flacco to open the season. Gabriel’s future as a backup has also become a talking point, because teams were certainly surprised the Browns traded up for Sanders two rounds after selecting Gabriel. To that point, SI.com’s Albert Breer confirms a report from The Athletic’s Michael Silver that stated the Browns received trade offers for Gabriel soon after trading up for Sanders.
Although post-pick trades can happen in the NFL — as the famous Eli Manning–Philip Rivers swap revealed 21 years ago — those sequences are traditionally confined to the NBA draft. The Browns have rebuffed QB trade inquiries at multiple stops this offseason, as reports in May and June indicated Cleveland was standing pat with its passer room. Those inquiries will likely resurface soon, with this month profiling as a trade window due to the roster crunch that comes each year as teams frantically go from 90 to 53 players.
The Gabriel interest came about from the six-year college QB impressing teams during pre-draft interviews, Breer adds; clubs saw the former Oregon, Central Florida and Oklahoma passer’s floor as that of a long-term backup. It would be interesting to learn what draft capital the Gabriel trade offers featured. Teams clearly saw more in Gabriel, with most draft observers viewing the undersized option as being overdrafted at No. 94. His pre-draft profile differs starkly from Sanders’. The latter entered the process with steady first-round buzz saw his stock crater thanks to a strange interview approach that alienated many teams.
Sanders and Gabriel have each missed time due to injury in training camp. Gabriel has returned to team drills after a hamstring issue sidelined him during Cleveland’s preseason opener, ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter notes, but the Browns announced Sanders suffered an oblique injury Wednesday and missed the rest of a joint practice with the Eagles. It is an oblique strain for Sanders, cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot notes. He is not expected to play in the Browns’ second preseason contest.
Sanders impressed when given a preseason start, thanks to the team resting Flacco and not having Gabriel or Kenny Pickett available, but his next chance to play will come in the Browns’ preseason finale next week. Pickett has not returned to 11-on-11 work, The Athletic’s Zac Jackson adds, noting Flacco remains in the driver’s seat to start in Week 1.
Pickett has thrown seven-on-seven reps since his injury, however. Gabriel’s return could point him to a start in Philly, per Jackson, who adds Sanders has generally outplayed his 5-foot-11 teammate during camp. The Browns, though, drafted Gabriel first. How these two coexist amid a situation that could remain awkward into the season will be interesting, as Flacco making it through 17 games as the starter will be unlikely.
Workout Notes: Scott, Ross, Worley
The Ravens auditioned a notable backfield veteran earlier this week. NFL inside Jordan Schultz reported the other day that Boston Scott had a recent workout with Baltimore. The 30-year-old is healthy and in “terrific” shape as he continues to seek the “right” opportunity.
Scott’s long stint with the Eagles ended with the 2023 campaign, and his 24 touches represented a five-year low. Before that, Scott had a regular role on Philly’s depth chart, including 2020 and 2021 campaigns where he combined for 747 yards and eight touchdowns. He scored 16 touchdowns during his time with the Eagles, nine of which came against the Giants. He added another three scores in eight playoff games.
He joined the Rams last offseason but was among the team’s final cuts. He quickly caught on with the Steelers practice squad but only lasted a few weeks before earning his walking papers. He’s remain unsigned since that time.
The Ravens have plenty of depth behind Derrick Henry. Justice Hill will continue as the RB2 in 2025, and the team is still rostering the likes of Keaton Mitchell and former fifth-round pick Rasheen Ali. The organization added D’Ernest Johnson and Myles Gaskin to the RBs room this offseason, so perhaps Scott would be an option to temporarily replace one of those veterans.
More workout notes from around the NFL…
- Before adding Roderick Daniels the other day, the Saints had a handful of wideouts in for workouts. This grouping included Justyn Ross, per veteran NFL reporter Howard Balzer. The receiver got into 13 games for the Chiefs between 2023 and 2024, with all six of his receptions coming during his rookie campaign. It’s uncertain if Daniels’ signing would preclude a Ross addition, although the team did notably place WR Bub Means on IR today.
- The Commanders had a handful of defensive backs in for workouts today, most notably cornerback Daryl Worley, per Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 in Houston. The former third-round pick has appeared in 99 career games, compiling 344 tackles and six interceptions. He most recently got into nine games (seven starts) for the Titans in 2024. If the journeyman ends up joining Washington, he’d be adding his 10th career team to his resume. Cornerback Qwuantrezz Knight, safety Trey Rucker, and defensive back Jason Taylor were among the team’s other workouts.
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/13/25
Today’s minor moves:
Baltimore Ravens
- Waived: RB Marcus Major
Chicago Bears
- Reverted to IR: S Major Burns
Cleveland Browns
- Waived from IR: WR Luke Floriea
Green Bay Packers
- Claimed off waivers (from Raiders): WR Kawaan Baker
- Reverted to IR: CB Isaiah Dunn, RB Jalen White
Houston Texans
- Signed: TE Tre’ McKitty
- Placed on IR: TE Dalton Keene
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: LB Marcus Haynes
- Placed on IR: WR D.J. Montgomery
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Signed: CB Keni-H Lovely
- Released from IR (injury settlement): CB Levi Wallace
Los Angeles Chargers
- Signed: CB Nehemiah Shelton
- Waived/injured: CB Jordan Oladokun
Minnesota Vikings
- Signed: LB Cam Gill, LB Max Tooley
- Reverted to IR: C Zeke Correll
New England Patriots
- Reverted to IR: RB Deneric Prince
New Orleans Saints
- Placed on IR: WR Bub Means, TE Mason Pline
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: WR Malik Turner
- Placed on IR: DE Bradlee Anae, DE Demone Harris, LB William Bradley-King
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Reverted to reserve/PUP: QB Michael Pratt
Tennessee Titans
- Claimed off waivers (from Vikings): LB Brian Asamoah II
- Waived: LB Otis Reese
- Reverted to IR: LB Anfernee Orji
The Titans swapped linebackers today, replacing Otis Reese with Brian Asamoah II. The latter was waived by the Vikings yesterday, but he’ll quickly land on his feet in Tennessee. The former third-round pick spent three years in Minnesota, collecting 30 tackles in 46 games. 802 of his 990 snaps came on special teams. He’ll be taking the spot formerly held by Reese, who started five games for the Titans over the previous two seasons.
Andrew Vorhees Favorite To Be Ravens LG
The Ravens don’t have much lineup uncertainty at the moment, meaning the lone positional battle has been thrust into the limelight. With Patrick Mekari departing this offseason, there remains an opening at left guard, with coach John Harbaugh recently stating that he’d like to settle on a starter as soon as possible.
Harbaugh also provided some insight into which way he’s leaning, as the coach revealed that Andrew Vorhees remains the front-runner for the starting LG job over Ben Cleveland.
“Andrew Vorhees is in the lead. Something would have to change,” Harbaugh said (via Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic). “I will say, with Ben, he’ll tell you, the first, three or four days didn’t look too good. Then, the next three or four days looked really good. … Andrew has looked good all the way through, so he’s in the lead at this point.”
Vorhees was penciled in as the starter to begin the 2024 campaign. However, an ankle injury temporarily knocked him out of the lineup, and by the time he was ready to return, Mekari had already run away with the job. Vorhees, a 2023 seventh-round pick, will now have another clear shot at sticking in the starting lineup, although Cleveland does provide some competition should things go off the rails. Per Zrebiec, Cleveland will likely be slotted in as the team’s top reserve OG to begin the season, with Joseph Noteboom likely the favorite to be the top OT reserve and former UDFA Corey Bullock the favorite to be the backup center.
While there aren’t many starting spots up for grabs in Baltimore, there are plenty of roster battles. One of those competitions is believed to be at outside linebacker, where the Ravens appear to have one too many players. Zrebiec writes that Adisa Isaac is expected to win the final positional spot, meaning David Ojabo is likely going to be the odd man out. A former second-round pick, Ojabo has struggled to carve out a role during his three years in Baltimore, and with only a year remaining on his rookie pact, the organization may finally be willing to move on.
Rams, RB Kyren Williams Agree To Extension
AUGUST 13: Williams secured $15.15MM at signing, according to Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio. This includes $2.75MM of Williams’ 2026 base salary ($5.5MM). On Day 3 of the 2026 league year, the rest of Williams’ 2026 base shifts to a full guarantee.
Two days later next March, Williams will see part of his 2027 base salary lock in. The Rams RB will see $4.61MM of his $8.95MM base salary shift from an injury guarantee to a full guarantee on Day 5 of the ’26 league year, Florio adds. The remaining 2027 salary will become guaranteed on Day 5 of the ’27 league year. This year-out guarantee may have helped James Cook, who secured a similar term from the Bills today. Williams’ $10.45MM 2028 base is nonguaranteed.
AUGUST 5: The long-awaited extension between Kyren Williams and the Rams has been worked out. A deal was struck Tuesday morning, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports. 
This will be a three-year, $33MM pact, Schefter adds. $23MM in guarantees are present in the agreement. Williams was entering the final year of his rookie contract, but today’s news means he will be on the books through the 2028 campaign.
Signs have consistently pointed to a pact being worked out in this case, and an update from last week indicated an agreement was close. Today’s news thus comes as no surprise, nor do the terms of the pact. Williams was not a candidate to reset the running back market, although he has managed to land a rare eight-figure AAV at the position. The 24-year-old’s $11MM mark checks in at seventh amongst running backs, evenly splitting Aaron Jones and Josh Jacobs in terms of annual average value.
Williams participated in spring practices as well as training camp while negotiations took place. The former fifth-rounder said in May he anticipated remaining with Los Angeles beyond the 2025 season regardless of when a new deal was struck. With plenty of time to spare, his long-term future has now been assured. Williams will be expected to reprise his role as lead running back for the coming campaign but also years to come.
As a rookie, the Notre Dame product saw sparse usage on offense. The past two years have been much different, though, with Williams receiving 260 touches in 2023 and then 350 last season. During his first year atop the depth chart, his 95.3 rushing yards per game led the NFL and resulted in a Pro Bowl nod. Williams managed to increase his overall production – including 16 total touchdowns – in 2024, although his efficiency took a step back. Managing to remain effective while handling a heavy workload moving forward will be key in determining the return on Los Angeles’ investment.
The Rams will continue to rely on receiver Puka Nacua in the passing game this season, and while Cooper Kupp is no longer in the fold Davante Adams is present on two-year free agent pact. Those two will be the focal points of the team’s offense through the air in 2025, quarterback Matthew Stafford‘s fifth season with Los Angeles. Williams will nevertheless maintain a critical role for the unit as well.
Former UDFA Ronnie Rivers, 2024 third-round selection Blake Corum and fourth-round rookie Jarquez Hunter represent the Rams’ other options in the backfield. That trio will provide the team with young and inexpensive backups at the RB spot while Williams plays out this new accord. As Los Angeles eyes a repeat of last year’s run to the divisional round of the postseason – at least – a major piece of offseason business has been taken care of.
Former All-AFL WR Lionel Taylor Dies At 89
Lionel Taylor, one of the American Football League’s best players, died last week, according to his family. The Broncos, Taylor’s primary AFL team, announced his passing. He was 89. Taylor died at his home in Rio Rancho, N.M., according to the Denver Gazette’s Chris Tomasson.
The Broncos acquired Taylor, a 1959 Bears UDFA, in their inaugural season — when the team was one of the eight original AFL franchises — and saw him lead the upstart league in receptions in that 1960 campaign. This was no small feat considering the presences of Hall of Famer Don Maynard and the Oilers’ high-octane duo of Bill Groman and Charley Hennigan. Taylor, however, enjoyed a decorated career despite the Broncos struggling during their AFL days.
Converted from Bears linebacker to Broncos wideout, Taylor led the AFL with 92 receptions in his Denver debut. He then ripped off one of the most consistent stretches in receiving history. Standing an imposing 6-foot-2 and 215 pounds, Taylor drew four first-team All-AFL nods from 1960-65 and led the league in receptions five times in that span.
Although the AFL was a pass-friendlier operation compared to the NFL in that period, Taylor totaling four 1,100-yard seasons was a feat certainly ahead of its time. By 1965, only one other receiver (AFLer Art Powell) had ever accumulated four 1,100-yard seasons. Taylor also produced the sport’s first 100-catch year (100 in 1961) and his 1,235-yard 1960 campaign — in 12 games — in Denver represented his highwater mark. Although Hennigan eclipsed Taylor’s AFL reception record (with 101) in 1964, no NFL receiver reached 100 until Art Monk‘s 106-catch 1984 season. Taylor’s 102.9 receiving yards per game in 1960 remains a Broncos single-season record.
A Kansas City, Mo., native, Taylor played collegiately at New Mexico Highlands. Despite the NFL draft consisting of 30 rounds in 1959, Taylor did not hear his name called. Playing 10 seasons, Taylor ended up in Oakland via a 1967 trade and wrapped his career with a two-season Houston stint (1967-68). He still sits fourth in Broncos history in receptions (543) and receiving yards (6,872) despite modern receivers enjoying much friendlier rulebooks for aerial success. Taylor never missed a game in seven Broncos seasons.
Taylor later earned Super Bowl rings as a coach, being the Steelers’ wide receivers coach under Chuck Noll. This period (1970-76) featured Taylor mentoring future Hall of Famers Lynn Swann and John Stallworth, as he coached the Pittsburgh icons during their first three seasons. He then spent five seasons as a Rams assistant, coaching the Los Angeles receivers from 1977-79 (the last of those seasons ending in Super Bowl XIV) and rising to the L.A. OC post for a two-season stint (1980-81). Taylor was part of the Broncos’ first Ring of Fame class.
Dolphins Notes: McDaniel, Chubb, CBs, TEs
The Dolphins gave Mike McDaniel an extension just before last season, but the team’s progress has stalled. Although McDaniel is the only Dolphins coach to engineer back-to-back playoff berths since Dave Wannstedt in the early 2000s, the team’s disappointing 8-9 record last season — as relationships with Jalen Ramsey and Tyreek Hill deteriorated — brought signs of trouble for the three-year Miami HC.
Entering his fourth season, McDaniel is a respectable 28-23. He played the lead role in revitalizing Tua Tagovailoa, while the QB’s concussion issues have been the chief factor in limiting McDaniel’s offense, which fell from second in 2023 (when Tagovailoa started 17 games) to 22nd in 2024 (11 Tua starts). Regardless of how this situation has reached this point, some execs around the league view McDaniel as a candidate to be the first coach fired this year, the Washington Post’s Jason La Canfora notes.
The atypical HC personality is responsible for numerous memorable quotes during his tenure, but his style is among the reasons Ramsey wanted out. One anonymous GM described the Miami situation to La Canfora as a “ticking time bomb” and referred to the Dolphins letting Ramsey and Hill “walk all over them.”
That may be more on GM Chris Grier than McDaniel, as the veteran exec handed both lucrative contracts — Ramsey’s an extension, Hill’s a reworking — despite multiple seasons remaining on each’s previous deal. Neither contract thus far has worked out. Hill slogged through an injury-plagued season that ended turbulently — via the mercurial wideout’s trade request he eventually took back — while Ramsey maneuvered his way out after not justifying Grier’s extension. The Dolphins are eating a non-QB-record $35.86MM in dead money — spread across this year and next — from the Ramsey trade.
McDaniel’s extension runs through the 2028 season, but teams — as the Cardinals and Titans showed in the not-too-distant past — have shown they will pull the plug and eat coaching guarantees if the operation is flailing. In seeing the Dolphins as too player-friendly — a topic we covered in a Trade Rumors Front Office post earlier this year, as Grier also gave in to Xavien Howard‘s contract demands with multiple years left on his deal back in 2021 — many (via La Canfora) compared this Dolphins situation to Robert Saleh‘s Jets setup last year.
Like Woody Johnson, Stephen Ross has seen his influence — via the Tom Brady/Sean Payton tampering penalty and Brian Flores‘ tanking allegation — cause issues. And the Ramsey trade has accompanied a number of Hill offseason comments. McDaniel admonished Hill in April but indicated he still wanted the wideout back. That is a situation to monitor, but the Dolphins may need to start fast in order for McDaniel — and possibly Grier — to justify remaining at the helm.
Like Ramsey, the Dolphins have not seen Bradley Chubb justify a trade investment. Ramsey only cost the team a third-round pick and tight end Hunter Long, but Chubb brought first- and fourth-round picks to the Broncos. The 2018 first-rounder missed all of last season with the ACL tear he sustained in Week 17 of the 2023 campaign. While Chubb is ready to return this season, the Dolphins gave the talented edge rusher a pay cut. Chubb will probably need to take another “massive” cut in 2026 if he is to avoid cap-casualty status, per the Miami Herald’s Omar Kelly.
Chubb, 29, is now on a three-year, $54.49MM deal — one carrying only $8.7MM guaranteed. Chubb is due a $19.45MM 2026 base salary. The Dolphins would take on $23.86MM in dead money by cutting Chubb in 2026; that could be spread over two years via a post-June 1 designation. Grier used a post-June 1 cut to drop Howard and Byron Jones recently; the Dolphins also waited until after June 1 to trade Ramsey for cap purposes.
Elsewhere on Miami’s defense, a team with already-questionable cornerback talent lost Kader Kohou and Artie Burns for the season. Storm Duck and Kendall Sheffield started Miami’s first preseason game, and while the Herald’s Barry Jackson labels Duck as safe to make the 53-man roster, Sheffield could go from preseason starter to cut. Seemingly standing as a 50-50 proposition, Sheffield would be a wildly unusual Week 1 starter since he has not started a game since 2020. The Dolphins signed him to a one-year, $1.17MM deal in May.
The Dolphins also signed Jack Jones as a boundary option, though the former Patriots and Raiders starter has been waived twice in three years. Jones joined second-year UDFA Ethan Bonner as the second-teamers in Miami’s preseason opener. Cam Smith also factors in here, but he has barely played since being a 2023 second-round pick.
On offense, the Dolphins still have trade acquisition Darren Waller on the active/PUP list as he works his way back into shape following a 2024 retirement. Julian Hill, a former UDFA who started 11 games last season, had still been viewed as the frontrunner to start at tight end, per Jackson, but low-cost addition Pharaoh Brown is pushing him for that status. Julian Hill caught 12 passes for 100 yards last season. Brown, an eight-year vet, has never topped 210 yards in a season. Without Waller, the Dolphins — who traded Jonnu Smith to the Steelers in the Ramsey/Minkah Fitzpatrick swap — have a bleak-looking TE situation.
Chargers RB Najee Harris Making Progress
Najee Harris is not yet off the Chargers’ active/NFI list, a training camp-only designation that emerged after the running back sustained an unspecified eye injury in a fireworks accident July 4. But the free agency addition is ramping up his workload.
The former first-round pick’s recovery has progressed to side drills at Chargers practice, ESPN.com’s Kris Rhim reports. This comes after Harris was only walking laps with a helmet and a weighted vest leading up to Tuesday’s side-field work. A player who did not suffer a lower-body injury only being given the green light to walk laps at an NFL practice points to a long recovery road, and the Chargers are not confirming the four-year Steelers starter will be ready for Week 1.
Jim Harbaugh has been coy with injury statuses since he returned to the NFL, but teams do not have to issue injury reports until Week 1. The Chargers will have a choice to shift Harris to the reserve/NFI list when setting their 53-man roster August 26 or to go week-to-week, saving a roster spot for a player they have a one-year, $5.25MM deal.
Greg Roman said Harris not being ready for Week 1 — a scenario Harbaugh’s vague remarks have also tabbed as realistic — would feature first-rounder Omarion Hampton rotating with a to-be-determined back. Roman said (via Rhim) a Hampton 1-B back in a non-Harris scenario features a “wide open” competition.
The Bolts have Kimani Vidal held over from their Ravens-centric 2024 backfield, and they claimed Hassan Haskins off waivers from the Titans last August. Ex-Commanders UDFA Jaret Patterson is also rostered, and the team included South Carolina’s Raheim Sanders in its UDFA class. The team also signed Nyheim Miller-Hines, the former Colts and Bills option who has missed the past two seasons because of a severe injury sustained in a 2023 jet ski accident.
Harris’ agent has said the fifth-year veteran suffered a “superficial eye injury,” while GM Joe Hortiz called it a surface-level injury earlier this summer. An August 6 Instagram photo, however, showed Harris’ left eye shut. Harbaugh, however, confirmed the running back can open that eye. We will not have much clarity on this situation until the Chargers either remove Harris from their active/NFI list or shift him to the reserve/NFI list later this month. The latter scenario, as is the case with an IR or PUP stash, would require a four-game absence to open the season.
Eagles LG Landon Dickerson Undergoes Meniscus Surgery
AUGUST 13, 11:40am: Dickerson underwent surgery Wednesday, Fox Sports’ Jordan Schultz tweets. Although the All-Pro returning by Week 1 may be a longshot proposition, Schultz adds the team is aiming for a reemergence during the early part of the regular season.
AUGUST 11, 4:03pm: The best-case scenario has emerged for Dickerson and the Eagles. Minor surgery will take place soon, Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo of NFL Network report. Depending on how Dickerson recovers, he could be available for Week 1. Even if not, a short-term timetable is in place for him to be back in the fold.
1:48pm: Landon Dickerson was carted off the field with a right leg injury during practice on Sunday, as detailed by ESPN’s Tim McManus. It quickly became clear testing would be needed on Monday to determine the extent of the injury. 
The latest update on the matter comes from McManus’ colleague Adam Schefter, who reports Dickerson is believed to have suffered a meniscus injury in his right knee. The next step for all involved will include additional opinions being sought out to determine the best course of action. That, in turn, will determine how long the Pro Bowler is sidelined.
Exact details are often critical in cases such as this. A meniscus trim includes missed time but would allow for a return to action during the regular season given the timing of Dickerson’s injury. A full meniscus tear could, on the other hand, result in season-ending surgery. That proved to be the case last year with Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy, whose tear occurred during the 2024 preseason.
Of course, any missed time on the part of Dickerson would be critical for the defending Super Bowl champions. The 26-year-old has operated as a full-time starter during each of his four Philadelphia seasons, and he has collected a Pro Bowl nod every year since 2022. Dickerson inked a four-year, $84MM extension last February; at the time, that deal was the most lucrative in NFL history for a guard. The former second-rounder is under contract through 2028 and will be expected to remain a foundational member of the Eagles’ O-line over that span.
In addition to the Dickerson extension, last offseason saw Philadelphia take a one-year flier on Mekhi Becton. The former Jets first-rounder struggled at tackle to begin his career, but a move to right guard produced the best season of his NFL tenure. Becton landed a raise on a Chargers pact this spring, but his departure created a first-team vacancy up front for the Eagles. Losing Dickerson for any extended period would test the team’s depth at the guard position even further.
Tyler Steen entered training camp as the favorite to replace Becton at right guard, but the Eagles’ plans up front could change depending on Dickerson’s prognosis. Philadelphia has veteran Matt Pryor as well as trade acquisition Kenyon Green in place as depth options along the interior. Pryor has 92 appearances and 39 starts to his name. Green – the 15th overall pick in 2022 – struggled as a rookie before missing the 2023 season and then failing to develop as hoped last year. Both Pryor and Green are pending 2026 free agents.
Injuries were a cause for concern during Dickerson’s time at Alabama. He has managed to avoid serious missed time so far at the NFL level, but that run of availability could come to an end in 2025 depending on how this situation plays out.
Saints OL Trevor Penning Battling Turf Toe
The Saints dealt with a boatload of offensive line injuries in 2024, and they have continued into this year.
The team has already lost Nick Saldiveri and Will Clapp to season-ending injuries, and now, Trevor Penning is dealing with turf toe, according to Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football.
Turf toe can cause lingering problems, and Penning has experience seeing a summer foot injury persist. Such an injury typically takes four to six weeks to heal, per Underhill, threatening Penning’s status for the Saints’ regular season opening on September 7.
After converting from tackle to guard hit offseason, Penning has been competing for the team’s starting LG job. Saldiveri’s injury gave Penning a commanding lead until he went down against the Chargers on Sunday. Penning has been available over the past two years, going as far as to start 17 games at right tackle in 2024. As a rookie, however, Penning suffered a torn foot ligament. Ironically, that injury was viewed as a bad case of turf toe at the time. Penning did not debut until Week 12 and only made one rookie-year start, altering his development during what became a failed Saints mission to have him replace Terron Armstead at left tackle.
The Saints have a few options to replace Penning. Dillon Radunz is listed as the backup left guard, but he took snaps at both tackle spots in the team’s preseason opener. Instead, it was Shane Lemieux and Kyle Hergel who filled the rest of the left guard snaps after Penning left the game. Given that Lemieux started four games for the Saints in 2024, he could be a trusted early-season option to fill in at left guard until Penning comes back.
New Orleans’ next two preseason games will be strong indicators towards their plans at left guard. If Radunz starts the game there, he will likely be the Week 1 starter if Penning isn’t available. If it’s Lemieux with Radunz still at tackle, the Saints may be planning to go with him in the short term and continue training Radunz as a swing tackle.
Penning, meanwhile, is entering a contract year after failing to live up to his first-round draft billing in his first three seasons. The Saints tried him at left and right tackle, but his tendency to lunge at defenders left the Division I-FCS product exposed against faster edge rushers. The team believes that his game better translates to the interior where his grip strength and power can really shine.