The Saints took Jordyn Tyson 8th overall this spring hoping he'd pair with Chris Olave to give Tyler Shough an actual downfield weapon from day one. Instead, the rookie is now staring at a two-month absence, and the reaction from the football world Sunday night ranged from resigned to devastated.
Ian Rapoport broke the news that Tyson is expected to be sidelined roughly two months with a hamstring injury he suffered in practice last week, after seeking out multiple medical opinions before New Orleans landed on the timeline. Adam Schefter followed with more detail on the same report, and head coach Kellen Moore has since clarified this hamstring issue is unrelated to the one that bothered Tyson back in the spring.
More about New Orleans Saints rookie wide receiver Jordyn Tyson possibly missing the next two months with a right hamstring injury, via @Kat_Terrell: https://t.co/EuXxv7M3F1
Two months isn't a throwaway phrase here. It's the latest chapter in an injury history that dogged Tyson through basically his entire college career. He blew up as a freshman at Colorado in 2022 before tearing his ACL, MCL and PCL against Oregon — a brutal near-dislocation of the knee. He transferred to Arizona State, barely played in 2023 while rehabbing, then broke out in 2024 with 75 catches for 1,101 yards and 10 touchdowns in 12 games. Hayden Winks flagged exactly why that history matters now.
Last thing on Jordyn Tyson: He unfortunately suffered a torn ACL/MCL/PCL. That's a near full dislocation. It's something that can easily be glossed over because it happened in 2022, but it wouldn't be a surprise if soft tissue injuries follow something that severe.
Winks also laid out the calendar math: two months from Sunday lands around October 17, which puts Tyson's return somewhere between the Saints' Week 6 trip to MetLife, their Week 7 game in France, or their Week 8 bye. On the early side, he could be back for Week 5-7; on the late side, New Orleans might be looking at Week 9 at home against Cleveland before he suits up.
Two months from today would be October 17th. The Saints play on Metlife turf in Week 6. They play in France in Week 7. They have a Week 8 bye. Jordyn Tyson could come back in Week 5-7 on the early side, or the Saints can be looking at Week 9 at home against the Browns.
For New Orleans, this pushes even more responsibility onto Olave and cracks the door open for Barion Brown, the rookie who now has a real shot at early-season reps he otherwise wouldn't have sniffed. Fantasy managers reacted about how you'd expect — Matthew Berry gave Olave a slight bump in his rankings while dropping Tyson into the late-40s among receivers, and Scott Barrett summed up the vibe simply: no amount of pessimism about this injury was enough.
Winks' advice for redraft leagues split the difference — draft Tyson in the low 100s as an upside WR5 stash next to the receivers you weren't starting in Weeks 1-4 anyway, rather than reaching or panicking. It's not a disaster for New Orleans' season, but for a rookie who was supposed to be must-see TV from Week 1, it's a rough way to open his NFL career.