Report: Saints fear Bryant tore Achilles tendon
Two days after signing with the New Orleans Saints, receiver Dez Bryant sustained a potentially seasonending foot injury on the final play of practice Friday, according to multiple reports.
Bryant had to be helped off the field, according to NFL Network, which also said that the Saints feared he had torn his Achilles tendon. He was scheduled to undergo an MRI, the network said, to determine the extent of the injury. A torn Achilles would sideline Bryant deep into next season.
Bryant indicated on social media that the injury will be challenging to overcome, writing on his verified Twitter account, “Things was just starting to heat up for me ... I won’t question the man upstairs ... this is the ultimate test.. thank you everyone for the prayers.” The Cowboys’ Dez Bryant tries to evade the Eagles’ Ronald Darby in a game on Nov. 19, 2017. Bryant, who signed with New Orleans on Wednesday, made it through just two practices with the Saints before suffering an injury on Friday.
The NFC Southleading Saints added Bryant to their roster Wednesday to bolster their receiving corps heading into the second half of the season. Their decision to sign Bryant, who spent his first eight seasons with the Dallas Cowboys before being released in April, seemed rooted
more in improving their chances to advance far in the playoffs than in helping them get there.
The Saints are averaging 34.9 points per game, best in the NFC, behind a diverse offense led by quarterback Drew Brees, running backs Alvin Kamara and Mark Ingram and receiver
Michael Thomas.
Unlike in Dallas, Bryant, 30, was not going to be the focal point of the passing game in New Orleans. The Saints figured he would need time to learn coach Sean Payton’s intricate offense. Once he gained comfort, Bryant would have been able to slide into a complementary role, perhaps in the red zone as a taller target for Brees.
Bryant, who practiced for the first time with New Orleans on Thursday, had been listed as questionable for the Saints’ game Sunday at Cincinnati.
The Los Angeles Rams canceled practice after a wildfire forced about 20 players and coaches to evacuate their homes.
The Rams will cram their normal Friday preparations into a workout at the University of Southern California on Saturday before they play host to the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday.
About 45 Rams employees were evacuated from neighborhoods south of the Rams’ training complex, although coach Sean McVay didn’t think any homes have been lost.
Those forced to leave their homes included defensive coordinator Wade Phillips and defensive line coach Bill Johnson.
The Cowboys waived one of their key offseason free-agent pickups, receiver Deonte Thompson, while activating receiver Noah Brown, an Ohio State product, off injured reserve and promoting receiver Lance Lenoir from the practice squad. They also waived cornerback Treston Decoud.
Dallas is 29th in the league in passing and hasn’t been able to compensate for defenses that focus on stopping running back Ezekiel Elliott.
Brown hasn’t played this season because of a hamstring injury. He appeared in 13 games last season, with four catches for 33 yards. Lenoir appeared in one game last season.