This is a terrible stroke of bad luck for New Orleans Saints rookie Vernon Broughton. NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo reports the third-round draft pick is exploring his options for a hip injury that, surgery or not, is ending his season after his first game. Broughton got on the field for just 24 snaps in Sunday’s loss to the San Francisco 49ers after being inactive in Week 1.
Broughton, a defensive tackle out of Texas, was buried in the rotation behind Bryan Bresee, Davon Godchaux, Nathan Shepherd, and a couple of other pros but earned an opportunity to play against San Fran. Unfortunately, his season is over before it could really get off the ground. Pro Football Focus charting credited him with three assisted tackles but no quarterback pressures.
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If the Saints are going to play out this season with an eye on their future rather than their present, as some have suggested, they would want to have young guys like Broughton active and available each week to play and develop. Instead, Broughton is going to have to do his learning in the film room. Hopefully he can return healthy for 2026 and make a bigger impact.
Look for those same guys at the top of the rotation to stay there in his absence; the Saints brought up Jonah Williams from their practice squad, and two other interior linemen were inactive between Jonathan Bullard and Khristian Boyd. Another backup, John Ridgeway III, will be coming back from injured reserve at some point. This isn’t the biggest loss for New Orleans right now, but it’s a big setback for a young pro they had a long-term plan for. Good luck to Broughton in recovery.
This article originally appeared on Saints Wire: Vernon Broughton suffered season-ending injury in Saints rookie debut