After much speculation this offseason, it has been confirmed that the New Orleans Saints will be without veteran tackle Ryan Ramczyk for the upcoming season.
Ramczyk has been placed on the Reserve/PUP list, and as a vested veteran, he will miss the entire 2024 season. This decision was made before the final roster cut-down date.
The 30-year-old only played 12 games in 2023 and underwent knee surgery to address significant cartilage damage during the offseason. He revealed that he had been dealing with this issue for the past few years.
The news of Ramczyk’s placement on the PUP list may not come as a surprise to some. Saints head coach Dennis Allen had previously expressed concerns about his recovery at the NFL Owner’s Meeting in March.
Ramczyk was notably absent during Saints OTA’s and last month’s mandatory minicamp.
Drafted by the Saints in the first round of the 2017 NFL Draft, Ramczyk signed a five-year, $96 million extension in 2021. Although he restructured his contract in May, he is set to earn $29 million next year.
In anticipation of changes to their offensive line, the Saints drafted Taliese Fuaga in the first round of this year’s NFL Draft. Fuaga has been practicing at left tackle, while Trevor Penning, the team’s 2022 first-round pick, has shifted to the right side.