Saints lose former Pro Bowl guard for season days after signing

The Saints took a few fliers this week, including a Jimmy Graham reunion. They added two guards, Turner and Max Garcia, in that process. Garcia’s chances of making New Orleans’ roster look to have improved as a result of Turner’s quick setback.

A former Panthers regular who has since bounced to the Chargers, Steelers and Commanders over the past three years, Turner signed league-minimum Saints deal on Tuesday. While Turner is a nine-year veteran, he is only going into his age-30 season. This certainly represents a blow toward the former third-round pick continuing his career. While Turner had spent his pro career elsewhere, he is a New Orleans native who played at LSU.

Not viewed as the same player he was while in Carolina, Turner has nevertheless been a regular starter with his past three teams. He started 12 games for the Commanders last season, stepping in for ex-Panthers coach Ron Rivera. The Commanders have since made changes at both guard spots, letting Turner walk in free agency and cutting Andrew Norwell. It took Turner until training camp to find another deal, and this injury figures to delay a potential 2024 signing for a while as well.

The Saints return both their guard starters from the past three years — Andrus Peat and Cesar Ruiz — and also traded up for fourth-rounder Nick Saldiveri in April. Garcia joins swingman James Hurst, the team’s primary left tackle last year due to Trevor Penning‘s injury, and Calvin Throckmorton (20 starts from 2021-22) as depth pieces.