The New Orleans Saints have been one of the worst teams in the league all season and it seems to stem from their questionable situation at quarterback. The Saints have one of the worst quarterback situations in the league with Spencer Rattler and Tyler Shough battling for the QB1 spot.
Shough recently took over as the starting quarterback in New Orleans and has been solid for the Saints, but they were still sellers at the trade deadline. But they didn’t sell as aggressively as many assumed they would.
Instead of selling aggressively, the Saints took a conservative approach and landed some draft capital for a few mid-tier players on the team.
But NFL’s Ian Rapoport recently reported that the Indianapolis Colts were close to acquiring Alontae Taylor in a trade at the deadline before the Colts swung the blockbuster deal for Sauce Gardner that shocked the entire NFL. Rapoport also reported that the Chicago Bears were eyeing Taylor at the deadline.
“Before the Colts stuck their mega deal for Gardner, they had discussions centered around Saints cornerback Alontae Taylor, who drew real interest on Monday and Tuesday,” Rapoport wrote. “In fact, sources say the Bears were deep in talks for Taylor before a deal ended up falling through.
“Taylor, who is in a contract year and likely will get paid this offseason, spent time with Bears defensive coordinator Dennis Allen when he was head coach in New Orleans and the fit made sense. Alas, the Bears ended up dealing with the Browns for pass rusher Joe Tryon-Shoyinka.”
Taylor would have been a solid addition for the Colts. Indianapolis needed to add some secondary help at the trade deadline, but it made the biggest move imaginable to add Gardner. Gardner is certainly a better upgrade than Taylor would have been.
The Bears could have used Taylor, too, but it seems as though the Saints were being a bit more conservative than many expected them to be. Still, the Bears should have been a bit more aggressive to bring Taylor in. He would have helped with their playoff push in a big way.
The Denver Broncos received tough news Friday afternoon.
As NBC Sports noted, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported that running back J.K. Dobbins will amiss Sunday’s matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs due to a significant foot injury.
Rapoport added that Dobbins is “believed to be out for the foreseeable future.”
His placement on injured reserve remains a real possibility as the team evaluates its options.
“Dobbins is still working through options, and while there is no final determination, IR remains a possibility,” Rapoport said.
The report came from himself and Tom Pelissero.
The development marks a quick escalation from earlier in the week, when Dobbins missed Wednesday and Thursday’s practices.
At that point, the team had not revealed the full severity of the injury.
Dobbins’ injury stems from a hip-drop tackle last Thursday against the Raiders, a play that left him frustrated enough to take to X and call for the move to be banned.
Dobbins ranks fifth in the NFL with 772 rushing yards and has been a huge part of Denver’s offense so far this season.
While Dobbins has officially been ruled out for Week 11, the next major decision comes quickly.
The Broncos must determine by Saturday afternoon whether to place him on injured reserve.
If he is moved to IR before Sunday, the Chiefs game will count toward a required four-game absence.
Placing Dobbins on IR would sideline him for matchups against the Chiefs, Commanders, Raiders, and Packers.
He would be eligible to return Week 16 against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Head coach Sean Payton acknowledged that discussions are ongoing.
“Nothing has been decided yet, and at some point there will be more clarity with him and some of these other players,” Payton said earlier this week.
Denver’s Week 12 bye gives the team a small cushion, but if the injury is significant enough to keep him out multiple weeks, the IR designation becomes more likely.
“With JK Dobbins potentially headed to Injured Reserve, all eyes turn to RJ Harvey,” Rapoport said.
RJ Harvey has already flashed his dynamic potential in limited work.
Payton praised Harvey’s running style, durability, and readiness to step into a larger role:
“When we drafted him, it was his running skillset, and he had a lot of touches at Central Florida,” Payton said.
“You are starting to see him grow in front of our eyes, and he will have more opportunities in this game.”
Tyler Badie will likely mix in as a third down guy, while Jaleel McLaughlin could be active as well.
Sunday’s divisional matchup against the Chiefs carries major playoff implications for both teams and Harvey has a huge opportunity to step up and flourish in the RB1 role.