Wil Lutz ‘can’t wait to get back’ from injury, Saints hope to avoid injured reserve

The hits just keep coming at New Orleans Saints training camp. News of Wil Lutz’s injury broke on Monday morning, which the Pro Bowl kicker later confirmed. Reports have said Lutz exited the Saints’ Aug. 7 practice session with a groin issue — the same core muscle problem that caused him to start camp on the non-football injury list. Lutz cleared his physical and initially kicked well, but he must have re-aggravated the injury.

After meeting with team doctors and seeking a second opinion, Lutz says that he has decided “to get this fixed now” so that he can miss as little time as possible during the regular season. The low end of recovery projections have Lutz sidelined for 8 weeks — meaning his earliest return could come around Week 4’s home game with the New York Giants on Oct. 3. But less optimistic projections have Lutz missing 12 weeks, not returning until Week 8, when the Saints host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Halloween.

So it’s looking like a long absence either way. Sean Payton said after training camp practice on Monday that, for now, the Saints intend to keep Lutz on the 90-man roster while he recovers from surgery. They’ll evaluate his progress as the preseason continues and make a decision later on whether he should be placed on injured reserve or the physically unable to play list.

NewOrleans.Football’s Nick Underhill reports that the team will soon try out free agent kickers, though it’s unclear just yet who they plan to bring in. The last kicker they signed in the Lutz era was Minnesota Vikings playoff antagonist Blair Walsh, who joined New Orleans’ practice squad late in the 2020 season.