Saints cornerback Paulson Adebo broke his femur in the team’s 33-10 loss to the Broncos on Thursday night, in which he was carted off in the first half and taken by ambulance to a New Orleans-area medical center.
The 25-year-old Adebo sustained the injury in the second quarter when trying to make a tackle. He remained on the ground after the play and was taken off the field by a cart at Caesars Superdome.
Adebo was transported to a local medical center, sideline reporter Kaylee Hartung reported on Amazon Prime’s “Thursday Night Football” broadcast, with Saints head coach Dennis Allen later sharing that the fourth-year pro would undergo surgery.
“That’s the tough part of our league is seeing things like that,” Allen said, according to the Associated Press. “It can be difficult.”
The Saints have been plagued with injuries following a 2-0 start to the year.
Starting quarterback Derek Carr has been sidelined for the past two games after suffering an oblique injury in a “Monday Night Football” loss to the Chiefs on Oct. 7.
Rookie quarterback Spencer Rattler has started in his place.
Star wide receiver Chris Olave was inactive for Thursday’s game after sustaining a concussion in the Saints’ Week 6 loss to the Buccaneers, while fellow wideout Rashid Shaheed underwent season-ending knee surgery this week.
“We’re dealing with a lot of injuries right now, and that’s not an excuse. I don’t want anybody to misconstrue that as an excuse, but it is an issue for us, and I think all of us are trying to fight through that,” Allen said postgame, according to ESPN.
A third-round pick out of Stanford in 2021, Adebo started in all seven appearances this season. He started in the 15 games he appeared in last season.
The Saints (2-5) will visit the Chargers (3-2) next Sunday.