Day Three Saints Training Camp, McKinstry Sits Out, Heating Up

Day three of training camp at the Saints Practice Facility in Metairie saw the heat kicking in full throttle.

"I thought there was a lot of good," head coach Kellen Moore said after practice. "It was a little bit of a hotter day, and the third day for these guys, compounding the workload, so that was good for these guys."

The ankle turn of cornerback Kool-Aid McKinstry on Thursday was downplayed by the 2nd year head coach.

"He's fine," Moore said. "It was more precautionary (to have him do individual work)."

A few veterans were given a lighter workload because of the excessive heat, with temperatures getting into the 90s by the end of practice.

Offensive lineman Cesar Ruiz and wide receiver Ja'lynn Polk had excused absences from practice for personal reasons.

Happy to Have Olave in the Fold

When asked to comment on the contract extension signed by wideout Chris Olave yesterday, Moore was effusive in his praise.

"Awesome for the team, awesome for Chris," Moore told the media. "Awesome for Chris for his success and the things he's had to navigate (referring to Olave's concussion issues two years ago). At the end of the day, when everyone is shooting for the same goal, sometimes the business part takes a little precedent, which is fine. I think everyone is really, really excited."

And kudos were spread around for his General Manager, Mickey Loomis.

"Mickey has just done an awesome job of continuing to build this roster," Moore told us, "and make the adjustments that we need, but also really value the pieces that we have in place that are really successful. (The signing of) Chris (Olave) is a great example: drafting him, developing him, and continuing his career here, which is what all of us wanted."

#80: Tight End to Watch

The Saints head man took time out the post-practice meeting with the media to single out the progress of tight end Moliki Matavao. The second-year man out of UCLA spend most of last season on the practice squad, but saw action in six games, mostly toward the end of 2025, starting two contests. He has already shown some flash with his pass catching abilities. Moore talked about how someone like the 6' 6", 280-pound young man can make an impact, even while waiting his turn to get onto the roster.

Saints tight end Moliki Matavao | New Orleans Saints website

"Mo is a perfect example of what you can do on a practice squad in a season," Moore explained. "To get to play a little bit before the end (of the season). He's a big, huge, massive frame, but he didn't play inline a whole lot (in college). So there was a little bit of projection there. He was wired the right way and ready to handle that type of transition. I think he will gain momentum...especially when we get to pads."

As for Matavao's blocking abilities, Moore is seeing progress.

"I think he's taken huge strides," Moore bragged. "Last year, he played in some of those 'dirty work' jobs, where he got in work at tight end. That's kind of the expectation."

Training Camp Shut Down Tomorrow

The Saints take the day off from the field on Saturday. Their next practice is set for Sunday from 9:00-10:30 a.m. when the team will again be in shells. Fan tickets are already sold out for Sunday, but Monday from 9:00-11:00 a.m., when the team straps on full pads for the first time, still has ticket availability. Go to the Saints SeatGeek site to pick up the free passes.

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