NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - OCTOBER 19: Alvin Kamara #41 of the New Orleans Saints celebrates with fans in the stands after a two point conversion against the Jacksonville Jaguars during the fourth quarter at Caesars Superdome on October 19, 2023 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images)
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The Erik McCoy injury which he sustained against the Philadelphia Eagles is expected to hold him out for 6 to 8 weeks, which puts the New Orleans Saints in quite a predicament. They now have to figure out who is going to start at center for the foreseeable future to try and keep the team on track until McCoy returns, which would be anywhere from Week 10 to Week 13. The options they have are few and far between on the roster, but there are a few, and there are also some notable ones in free agency or even a trade candidate if it comes to that.
Let’s get some of the on-roster options out of the way first, as they tend to be the most likely choice when an injury occurs. Lucas Patrick was the initial replacement for McCoy in Week 3, as Oli Udoh came in at guard due to the Saints having a lack of center options on the roster at the time. Patrick has been exceptional at guard through the first few weeks, but he did not look great at center no doubt. Keep in mind, he was asked to revert to his former position after primarily being a guard option throughout the offseason. After only a few snaps he had to change positions and mindset, which is difficult as center is a completely different stance. He may take the first start just to see if he can adjust in Week 4, or they may use him at guard and find another option.
