The New Orleans Saints will be without one of their O-line’s most reliable reserves for all of 2026. Guard Dillon Radunz tore his ACL during Saturday’s practice, an injury coach Kellen Moore confirmed will end his season before it starts.
Radunz signed a $6.9 million deal with New Orleans last year and started 10 games. He went down early in practice during one-on-one drills against the Saints’ defensive line, then walked off under his own power and did not return.
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Saints fans reacted on X.
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“Saints just went from top 5 to top 3 draft pick,” one tweeted.
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“Saints getting hit pretty hard with training camp injuries,” another added.
“The saints will never have a healthy offensive line,” a third commented.
Here are a few more reactions.
“Damn, the nfc south is getting rocked,” one wrote.
“Damn man, these ACL tears are BRUTAL,” another added.
“Tough break for Radunz and the Saints. Depth on the O-line is going to be crucial this season,” a fan tweeted.
Meanwhile, defensive tackle Bryan Bresee also suffered the same injury at the start of training camp.
Dillon Radunz‘s absence hits a depth chart that was already thin behind the starters. Rookie fourth-round pick Jeremiah Wright had been climbing the ladder at right guard with the third-string offense, but he’s been out since Wednesday with a shoulder injury, missing three straight practices and counting.
That leaves second-string guard William Sherman as the direct backup between projected starter Cesar Ruiz and Wright. New Orleans had also planned to move Ruiz to center for two days of second-string reps, but the Radunz injury put that plan on hold.
Dillon Radunz injury caps a rough weekend for the injury report
Defensive end Cameron Jordan sat out Sunday’s practice with a hamstring issue that surfaced Thursday, and Kellen Moore said the team is still gathering information on its severity. Jordan, running back Alvin Kamara and long-snapper Zach Wood also missed Saturday’s session to attend Drew Brees’ Pro Football Hall of Fame enshrinement. Kamara and Wood were back on the field Sunday.
Safety Julian Blackmon returned to practice on Sunday after leaving a day earlier with a knee injury, and receiver Chris Olave worked normally after a wrist scare sidelined him for evaluation on Saturday. Defensive lineman John Ridgeway III is day-to-day with a back issue, while second-year running back Devin Neal is managing a hamstring issue of his own.
Edited by Joseph Schiefelbein
