Saints Announce Kelvin Banks Injury Update Exiting Finale

The New Orleans Saints got some good news after a scare on Sunday.

New Orleans faced off against the Atlanta Falcons in the Week 18 season finale. The story of the day was about how the Saints and Falcons' matchup determined the winner of the NFC South. With the Falcons winning, that gave the crown for the top spot in the division to the Carolina Panthers.

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The season is now over for the Saints and they have a long, but optimistic offseason ahead. At this point last offseason, the vibes were much lower. Derek Carr was still the team's quarterback with questions around his future. The Saints had a high draft pick, but a ton of holes on the roster coming off a last-place finish in 2024. The Saints finished in last place again, but have a quarterback to build around, showed legit improvement, and arguably are set with the coaching staff. Add a few pieces this offseason and they should be good in 2026 with a full season of Tyler Shough.

The Saints had a slight scare on Sunday

Sep 14, 2025; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Saints offensive tackle Kelvin Banks Jr. (71) against the San Francisco 49ers during the first half at Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images | Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

For all of the optimism, there was a moment that wasn't great on Sunday. Saints rookie offensive lineman Kelvin Banks Jr. was forced to exit the finale and was carted to the locker room due to an ankle injury. He was quickly ruled out by the team.

Banks looked like a long-term fixture for the Saints throughout the 2025 season. But the ankle injury at the end was nerve-wracking, to say the least. Fortunately, Saints head coach Kellen Moore made it clear that the team has no long-term concerns right now for the offensive lineman.

"No, not long-term," Moore said when asked about Banks' injury. "He's got an ankle that he'll obviously have to navigate, but we're entering the offseason so he'll be fine."

The Saints ended the season with a loss, but there is more optimism around this team than last year. The rookie class, starting with Banks and Shough, looks like a home run for the team. Fortunately, it sounds like Banks is going to be alright.

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