METAIRIE, La. (AP) — New Orleans Saints guard Trai Turner, who was signed earlier this week, left practice Friday with a season-ending torn quadriceps, two people with knowledge of the injury told The Associated Press.
The people spoke on condition of anonymity because the specific nature of the injury had not been announced. Turner, 30, was carted off the practice field, but Saints coach Dennis Allen said shortly after practice that Turner was still being evaluated and did not go into further detail.
The 6-foot-3, 315-pound Turner, a former LSU standout and a starter for most of his career, was a Carolina Panthers third-round draft choice in 2014. He spent his first six NFL seasons with Carolina before hopping from the Los Angeles Chargers in 2020 to Pittsburgh in 2021 and to Washington last season.
After his first practice Wednesday, Turner expressed gratitude for the opportunity to continue his career in the city where he grew up and played in high school, and in the state where he played in college.
“It’s cool to be home. I played high school football right up the road. My house is right up the road. So there’s a little comfort in that. My parents are right there so I get to see them often,” Turner said. “I definitely was a Saints fan. I got a couple of days off from school to celebrate a Super Bowl (after the Saints won it in February 2010), so I’ve got to be happy for that.”
While Turner was expected to push either of the Saints’ incumbent starting guards for snaps, he began practice this week working with the second team.
Allen also had stopped short of suggesting that starting guards Andrus Peat or 2020 first-round draft choice Cesar Ruiz were in danger of losing their jobs.
“We felt like (Turner is) a veteran player we could bring in, put into the mix and let’s see how the competition plays out,” Allen said earlier this week.
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