Payton Turner’s debut season with the New Orleans Saints was marred by injury, as the defensive end finished the year on injured reserve. Turner, who had shoulder surgery in November 2021, said on Wednesday that he had been “cleared” ahead of training camp, which is encouraging news. It’s a good development for the Saints, who only saw a small portion of Turner’s talent last season.
Turner, who was chosen 28th overall in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft, spent the first eight weeks of that season with the Saints. Turner participated in five games, was inactive three times, and recorded 12 tackles and a sack. He played against the Atlanta Falcons on November 7 and recorded three tackles in 17 snaps before suffering a shoulder injury that forced him to miss the rest of the season. Turner has a second chance to make a good first impression while still improving the Saints’ defense, which was already rather strong.
