The Arizona Cardinals play the New Orleans for their season opener on September 7. The Saints, already expected to be a team that will struggle, might be missing a starting offensive lineman, although it is far better than initially believed.
Starting left guard Trevor Penning was carted off the field in the Saints’ preseason game last weekend but he avoided major injury. According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, it was only a minor foot inury and will miss a few weeks. That could, though, include the start of the season. The Cardinals and Saints play their opener in three and a half weeks.
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According to Nick Underhill, Penning has turf toe, which can take four to six weeks to recover from, although it is possible to return earlier.
Penning moved from tackle to guard this offseason, as the Saints drafted Kelvin Banks in the first round and make him their starting left tackle.
New Orleans could have rookie Tyler Shough as their starting quarterback, so losing Penning, even for a game or two to start the season, is less than ideal.
Fifth-year guard Dillon Radunz is currently listed as the backup left guard on the Saints’ depth chart. He started 26 games over the last two seasons.
It could be a great opportunity for the Cardinals’ remade defensive line to do some damage.
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This article originally appeared on Cards Wire: Saints OL Trevor Penning could miss Week 1 game vs. Cardinals