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After initial reports that New Orleans Saints left guard Andrus Peat missed the team’s first padded practice with an undisclosed hand injury, word has gotten out today that “hand injury” is in fact a broken thumb.
#Saints Pro Bowl G Andrus Peat, who is sidelined with what was termed a hand injury, has a broken thumb, source said. His timetable for return is unclear and some of it will depend on if he needs surgery to repair it. But Peat hasn’t been ruled out for the opener.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) August 18, 2020
It’s not clear at this time how serious the injury is, but Peat’s absence for any extended period of time would obviously be less than ideal.
The Saints have backups Nick Easton and Will Clapp on the roster, with the former originally signed to fight for the starting center job before the Saints drafted Erik McCoy in the 2019 NFL Draft. If the Saints view Easton as a potential starting option, he would make sense at the left guard position if Andrus Peat is unable to play Week 1.
Of note, former Saints Pro Bowl guard Larry Warford, who was released by the team after the Saints selected Cesar Ruiz out of the University of Michigan in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft, has failed to latch on with a new team. Warford eventually announced he was opting-out of the 2020 season due to Covid concerns and wanting to start a family, but it will be interesting to see if the Saints reach out to Warford if Peat has to miss significant time.
Stay tuned for additional details.
UPDATE:
Saints expect Peat to only be sidelined two weeks.
Good news on Andrus Peat, fracture of his thumb they expect him back within two weeks
— Jay Glazer (@JayGlazer) August 18, 2020