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Isaiah Foskey

Bengals Place G Lucas Patrick On IR

September 9th, 2025 at 2:55pm CST by Sam Robinson

Although the Bengals signed Dalton Risner in late August, they gave Lucas Patrick the right guard job. Patrick did not make it out of Cincinnati’s Week 1 game, and he will be shut down for a while.

The Bengals placed Patrick on IR today. That will keep the veteran interior O-lineman out until at least Week 6. The Bengals signed defensive tackle Mike Pennel from their practice squad to fill the empty roster spot.

[RELATED: Recapping Bengals’ 2025 Offseason]

Zac Taylor had said the calf injury Patrick suffered would sideline him for a least a couple weeks. The Bengals will not carry him on their 53-man roster while he recovers, and it will be interesting to see if Patrick can regain his starting RG job. The Patrick-Cody Ford competition did not impress, leading to the Risner signing. Risner replaced Patrick in Cincinnati’s lineup following the injury, and the Cincinnati Enquirer’s Kelsey Conway notes the seventh-year veteran will start in his place in Week 2.

Patrick signed a one-year, $2.1MM deal. Although the pact came with just $200K guaranteed, Patrick is a vested veteran and saw his full $2.1MM number lock in earlier this month. Risner is on a one-year, $1.34MM deal. The latter has become known for slow-moving free agency markets, having agreed to terms with the Vikings in September 2023 and with the Bengals just before this season. In between, Risner waited until May to rejoin the Vikings.

Risner, 30, has made 81 career starts. Patrick, 32, has started 65 games in a nine-year career that has included time at guard and center. Risner is a pure guard, having started for four seasons in Denver and having lined up as a Vikings first-stringer in 19 games from 2023-24. Making in-season moves to starting lineups in each of the past two seasons, Risner is familiar with this routine. He will have a chance to take Patrick’s job, one neither he nor Ford seized during training camp. The Bengals replaced both their guards this offseason, using Patrick and third-round rookie Dylan Fairchild at the positions in Week 1.

A 12th-year veteran, Pennel joined the Bengals last week and played in Week 1 as a gameday elevation. Spending four of the past six seasons with the Chiefs, Pennel has now seen game action with six teams.

The 25-game starter lined up as a Kansas City first-stringer last season, playing 30% of the team’s defensive snaps. Pennel lined up for 22 Bengals defensive plays Sunday. He serves as experienced depth behind B.J. Hill and Tedarell Slaton, with The Athletic’s Paul Dehner Jr. indicating the team had aimed for depth behind its new nose tackle.

The Bengals also will give Isaiah Foskey a second chance, as veteran insider Jordan Schultz reports the former Saints second-round defensive end is joining Cincinnati’s practice squad. While Foskey registered zero sacks in 27 Saints games before failing to make their 53-man roster this year, he played under new Bengals DC Al Golden at Notre Dame. Golden was the Fighting Irish’s DC in 2022, Foskey’s final season in South Bend.

The Bengals also signed defensive end Myles Cole to their P-squad and released defensive end Isaiah Thomas.

Saints Release Clyde Edwards-Helaire, Isaiah Foskey, Move Down To 53

August 26th, 2025 at 3:05pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Saints have moved down to 53 players ahead of the 3pm CT deadline. Moving multiple players to the IR-return list, New Orleans also cut 19 players in addition to today’s Jake Haener move. Here is how the Saints trimmed their roster to 53:

Released:

Waived:

Waived/injured:

Placed on IR (designated for return):

Placed on IR:

Moved to reserve/PUP list:

Ridgeway and Wesley will count toward the Saints’ in-season injury-activation total, leaving six regular-season activations for the team to use. Kellen Moore confirmed those two received return designations while Young will head to season-ending IR due to ankle surgery, NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo tweets. Ridgeway, acquired via trade last year, will miss time due to a pectoral injury. It is not viewed as serious, Garafolo adds, noting the D-lineman should be back early in the season. Ridgeway and Wesley, a 2023 UDFA who has not seen any game action yet, must miss at least four games.

The same holds true for Hill and Moreau, who will be shifted from the active/PUP list to the reserve/PUP list. Hill suffered an ACL tear in Week 13 last season, while Moreau went down with a knee malady in Week 18.

Foskey could not hold onto a regular role under Moore, who will drop the 2023 second-round pick after his third NFL training camp. The Saints have used Foskey in 27 games, giving him no starts. In that time, the edge rusher has not recorded a sack. If Foskey goes unclaimed, the Saints will be hit with $3.16MM in dead money — spread over two years.

Edwards-Helaire follows Cam Akers off New Orleans’ roster. Both are vested veterans and do not need to clear waivers before joining another team’s active roster or practice squad. Teams cannot begin setting P-squads until waivers process at 11am CT Wednesday, but clubs are informing players they want to retain on their taxi squads already. Beanum is among the players the Saints want to retain on their P-squad, KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson tweets.

Saints Officially Shifting To Base 3-4 Defense

June 22nd, 2025 at 1:13pm CST by Ely Allen

While all NFL defenses play around with formations depending on the situation, every team has a base defense that functions as their identity and the starting point from which they can build out. The base defense is key in determining what types of defenders you bring in, as well. For instance, you might not want to bring in a standup outside linebacker if you run a base 4-3, in which he’ll be required to put his hand in the dirt, which could affect his pass rush arsenal.

Well, according to Jeff Duncan of The Times-Picayune, the Saints are officially switching to a base 3-4 defense under new defensive coordinator Brandon Staley. Staley learned the scheme from Vic Fangio during their time together in Chicago and Denver, while Fangio was a student of it all the way back during his first NFL gig as the Saints linebackers coach in the 1980s, when the imposing “Dome Patrol” quartet gained notoriety in New Orleans. But the 3-4 went away from the Superdome when then-head coach Jim Mora resigned in the late 1990s, and the defense has been mostly run out of a base 4-3 since then.

For the most part, the responsibilities of the secondary will remain unchanged in the new formation. The base defense will still include two safeties and two cornerbacks with extra defensive backs coming in for special formations. The responsibilities of the middle linebackers will also remain mostly the same, barring the fact that their new base defense allows for two strictly off-ball linebackers.

The differences come with the outside linebackers and the defensive line. When running a base 4-3, defensive ends are the main pass rushers. Outside linebackers can blitz on occasion, but for the most part, they act more as off-ball linebackers than edge rushers. The defensive tackles, in 4-3, are stout and strong, but they also usually to have a bit of a pass rush arsenal. In base 3-4, the outside linebackers become the main pass rushers, though they should also have the versatility to function off ball. The defensive ends now are more akin to defensive tackles in size and pass rush ability. The nose tackles become more important in the 3-4 as an over-the-center, usually heavier, run stuffer.

In New Orleans, determinations are being made as to which defenders will have what roles. Formerly defensive ends, Carl Granderson, Chase Young, Cameron Jordan, and Isaiah Foskey are now outside linebackers. They’ll have to adjust to working out of standup position, as opposed to the three-point stance they have been used to. In order to adjust to this new starting position, Young and Granderson have reportedly shed some weight.

The new defensive ends group is composed of Bryan Bresee, Jonah Williams, and Vernon Broughton, while the nose tackles will be former defensive tackles Davon Godchaux, Nathan Shepherd, and Khalen Saunders. Their responsibilities won’t really change too much, aside from their new three-man lineup being surrounded by pass rushers from the linebacking corps.

Obviously, Staley and company will constantly be changing up looks and rotations throughout the course of games and the season based on different situations and different offenses they will face. But this change in the team’s base defense alters the role of several key, veteran players and will likely affect the prospective players New Orleans looks for in the future.

NFL Injury Updates: Higgins, Turner, Palmer, Saints, Jones

November 10th, 2023 at 9:58pm CST by Ely Allen

The Bengals will be without their second leading receiver for their Week 10 matchup against the Texans. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, Tee Higgins will miss Sunday’s game after injuring his hamstring in practice on Wednesday. He will reportedly continue to be evaluated on a week-to-week basis.

Partially due to the early struggles of quarterback Joe Burrow, Higgins is off to the worst start of his career this season. After averaging 1,009.33 receiving yards in each of his first three seasons, Higgins is currently on track to finish the season with only 703 yards. Hamstring injuries have a tendency to linger, as well, threatening to take even more away from Higgins this year.

Leading wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase has been limited this week with a back injury and is currently listed as questionable. Should he play, though, he will be joined by Tyler Boyd, Trenton Irwin, and sixth-round rookie Andrei Iosivas. With Higgins out, tight end Irv Smith may, too, continue to see an increased role in the Bengals’ passing gameplan.

Here are a few other injury updates from around the NFL:

  • The Jets will be without yet another offensive lineman this week as backup lineman Billy Turner will miss Sunday’s game in Las Vegas, per Brian Costello of the New York Post. Turner suffered a “concerning” broken bone in his hand during his first start of the season last week that head coach Robert Saleh disclosed had required surgery. Turner was starting in place of injured right guard Connor McGovern, who was placed on injured reserve before last week’s game with a dislocated knee cap. With all the current injuries on the offensive line, New York only has three linemen on the active roster – Chris Glaser, Dennis Kelly, and Carter Warren – that it can turn to as a replacement starter this weekend. They also have Jake Hanson, Xavier Newman, and Rodger Saffold, who should be available off the practice squad. Saffold and Hanson are recent signings who may have been brought in to assist with the team’s plague of injuries on the offensive front.
  • Chargers wide receiver Josh Palmer was placed on IR earlier this week without much word on the specifics of what was being called a knee injury. Daniel Popper of The Athletic provided an update on Wednesday that Palmer is dealing with a knee sprain. Popper’s report comes from head coach Brandon Staley, who relayed that Palmer will obviously be out for the next four weeks, the minimum required on IR, but he has “no expectations” after that. They will simply have to reassess once Palmer is eligible to return.
  • Two Saints rookies suffered injuries this past Sunday. Defensive end Isaiah Foskey suffered “a low-grade quad strain,” according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. Foskey’s absence, as a rotational lineman, will open the door for more potential snaps for either Tanoh Kpassagnon or Kyle Phillips, who was signed to the active roster weeks ago but has yet to make his season debut. Foskey is expected to miss a week or two, but the injury isn’t considered serious. Running back Kendre Miller was the other Saints rookie to suffer an injury, spraining his ankle against Chicago last week, per Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football. He hasn’t participated in practice all week and will also be out this Sunday. It’s unclear whether or not his injury will linger to hold him out for much longer. Miller’s usage has decreased significantly since the return of Jamaal Williams, but with Eno Benjamin on IR, the team may feel the need to elevate practice squad running back Jordan Mims to back up Williams and Alvin Kamara.
  • The Browns will be down three offensive tackles for this weekend’s trip to Baltimore. According to Jeff Schudel of The News-Herald and Morning Journal, rookie fourth-round tackle Dawand Jones has been ruled out for Sunday’s game. Starting tackles Jack Conklin and Jedrick Wills both currently reside on IR, Conklin since Week 1 and Wills just this past week. Jones had been starting across from Wills in place of Conklin. With Wills and Jones out next week, Cleveland will have to start two fresh faces at offensive tackle. Schudel reports that James Hudson III is expected to start at right tackle. Starting left guard Joel Bitonio is expected to slide out to serve as a left tackle. Backup center Nick Harris will get an opportunity to start in Bitonio’s place at left guard. A beleaguered offensive line will face a significant challenge with three new starters in new positions against a Ravens defense that leads the league in sacks.

Saints Sign Round 2 DE Isaiah Foskey, Wrap Draft Class Deals

July 19th, 2023 at 10:17am CST by Sam Robinson

Add the Saints to the list of teams to complete their draft class signings. Second-round defensive end Isaiah Foskey signed his rookie contract Wednesday morning.

The Saints added Foskey with the No. 40 overall pick in April. The terms of this contract will be of interest to the lot of players drafted immediately after Foskey, as this sector of the second round represents the largest unsigned contingent remaining.

[RELATED: Saints, Cameron Jordan Discussing Extension]

Carolina authorizing three fully guaranteed years and a partial guarantee of Year 4 in No. 39 overall pick Jonathan Mingo‘s contract last month slowed negotiations for second-rounders. Foskey receiving similar terms will further move the needle for second-round picks, who have made steady gains on the guarantee front in the years since the 2011 CBA reorganized rookie contracts.

Foskey represents the second major D-end draft investment the Saints have made since 2021, when they drafted Payton Turner in Round 1. Turner has not developed like the team hoped he would, and the Houston alum’s roster spot may not be a lock. It would still surprise if Turner were not on the team come September, but after being a healthy scratch at points last season, the third-year pass rusher’s stock has dropped. The Saints also let Marcus Davenport walk in free agency and have their top sack artist — Jordan — going into his age-34 season.

A Notre Dame product, Foskey delivered strong production during his final two years with the storied program. He notched two 10-sack seasons in that span, totaling 20.5. ESPN’s Scouts Inc. still viewed Foskey as more of a third-round talent, slotting him 77th in this class. But the Saints disagreed and will hope the 6-foot-5 edge player can become a fixture as Jordan moves into his mid-30s.

The Saints centered their draft plan around the defensive line, taking Clemson defensive tackle Bryan Bresee in Round 1. Here is New Orleans’ 2023 draft class:

Round 1, No. 29 (from 49ers through Dolphins and Broncos): Bryan Bresee, DT (Clemson) (signed)
Round 2, No. 40: Isaiah Foskey, DE (Notre Dame) (signed)
Round 3, No. 71: Kendre Miller, RB (TCU) (signed)
Round 4, No. 103 (from Bears): Nick Saldiveri, G (Old Dominion) (signed)
Round 4, No. 127 (from Jaguars): Jake Haener, QB (Fresno State) (signed)
Round 5, No. 146: Jordan Howden, S (Minnesota) (signed)
Round 6, No. 195 (from Steelers through Broncos): A.T. Perry, WR (Wake Forest) (signed)