METAIRIE, La. — New Orleans Saints defensive end Chase Young (calf) is out and will make his debut against the New England Patriots on Sunday, while running back Alvin Kamara (ankle) is out.
Young missed the first five games of the season with a calf injury and returned to practice Wednesday.
“Chase has just done so much. You're excited to see him out there. He deserves it, he's earned it. Nothing's been easy on this road for him, so he's had a great week of practice, done a great job, and certainly, whenever he gets out there, he's excited and excited,” Saints coach Kellen Moore said.
Young officially participated in practice Friday for the first time this season, and Moore said his return will improve the performance of other defensive players. The Saints are currently tied for 14th in sacks this season, with Carl Granderson currently leading the team with 4.5 sacks.
“Just more depth. Obviously [Carl Granderson] and [Cameron Jordan] Getting a lot of reps and having Chase involved will help with the rotation,” Moore said. “Chris [Rumph] It's still going to be going on, so we feel like, with four guys now rotating in a healthy dose, we think that's going to be great in terms of keeping those guys fresh and ready. “
Editor's Picks
1 related
Kamara told reporters Thursday he felt good, and Moore said he's practiced well this week.
“I thought some of the stuff in the game wasn't that serious. It wasn't really that serious, just a little soreness,” Kamara said Thursday.
Linebacker Cesar Ruiz (ankle), tight end Juwan Johnson (ankle), linebacker Trevor Penning (ankle) and safety Justin Reid (concussion) were all fully available Friday and will play Sunday, while cornerback Isaac Yiadom (hamstring) missed his second straight game.