The New Orleans Saints suffered another significant training camp setback on Saturday when offensive guard Dillon Radunz tore his ACL, ending his season before it began and leaving the team with a second major ACL loss during preseason workouts.
Radunz limped off the field after one-on-one line drills near the start of Saturday’s practice and did not return. Coach Kellen Moore confirmed the torn ligament. Radunz signed with the Saints last year and had established himself as a key reserve, starting 10 games during the 2025 season.
The setback compounds an already difficult camp for New Orleans. Defensive tackle Bryan Bresee had also suffered a torn ACL early in training camp, making Radunz the second Saints player to lose a season to the same ailment before the team has played a preseason game.
Jordan sidelined with a hamstring issue
Cameron Jordan, the veteran defensive end, was absent from Sunday’s practice with a hamstring issue that originated in Thursday’s session. The coach said Jordan was gathering more information on the strain and declined to characterize its severity, leaving his timeline uncertain.
Jordan had missed Saturday’s practice, though for a different reason. He, along with running back Alvin Kamara and long-snapper Zach Wood, attended Drew Brees’s enshrinement into the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Saturday rather than practicing. Kamara and Wood returned to the practice field Sunday.
Other health updates
Safety Julian Blackmon, who had left Saturday’s practice with a knee issue, returned to Sunday’s session without apparent restrictions. His quick turnaround from Saturday’s exit was an encouraging sign for a secondary that has been sorting through its depth ahead of the season.
Wide receiver Chris Olave also practiced normally Sunday after a moment of concern Saturday when an apparent wrist issue sent him to the sideline for evaluation. He returned to that same practice to catch a pass before it concluded, and his full participation Sunday suggested no significant damage.
What the ACL losses mean for New Orleans
Two ACL tears in training camp is an unusually concentrated run of serious injuries for any team, and the timing creates roster and developmental challenges that the Saints will need to address. Losing Bresee and Radunz before a snap has been played in any game that counts removes contributions that the team had planned around.
For Radunz specifically, the timing is particularly painful. He signed with the Saints and developed into a reliable starter-level reserve last season, giving the team interior offensive line depth that has real value. Replacing the Radunz depth will require the team to look at the waiver wire or accept that the depth behind the starters is thinner heading into the regular season than they had planned.
For Bresee, the loss represents a setback for a young defensive tackle who had been developing into a meaningful contributor for a defense that relies on interior pressure to be effective.
The broader picture at interior offensive line
Interior offensive line depth is a less glamorous position group than the skill positions, but it becomes critical when starters miss games. Starting guards and centers make the protection calls that allow quarterbacks to understand the defense, and losing a player who has absorbed the playbook and has experience making those calls cannot be replaced simply by inserting a new body.
Radunz had reached a point where he could be trusted in those situations, which is precisely what made him valuable as a 10-game starter last season. Finding someone who can replicate that level of readiness this late in the preseason process is one of the practical challenges the Saints face as they finalize their roster.
The Saints will have to decide whether to look outside for reinforcement or rely on developmental players already in camp, filling the Radunz role with what they have. Either path carries risk, and the choice will reflect how the staff assesses what remains.
