New Orleans Saints wide receiver Chris Tyree was not able to participate in Sundayâs preseason opener against the Los Angeles Chargers due to an injury. He did, however, find his way onto the field before the game, even if it was just in street clothes.
What happened after that was a bit more unfortunate.
Per Nick Underhill of New Orleans.Football, the Saints waived Tyree with an injury designation. The announcement dropped on X (formerly Twitter) around halftime of the Saintsâ eventual 27-13 loss.
The 23-year-old Tyree will now go on injured reserve, ending his shot at making the Saintsâ 53-man roster.
Saints Remain Thin at Wide Receiver
Tyree, an undrafted free agent from Virginia, was already somewhat of a longshot to make the team out of camp. The injury, of course, did not help, and Tyree now stands almost no chance of playing for the Saints this season.
Instead of placing Tyree on IR, the Saints may choose to replace him with an injury settlement that would pay a portion of his salary but would require him to rehab away from the team. Another team may also choose to sign him. Either way, the 5-foot-10, 186-pound Tyree faces an uncertain future.
The decision speaks volumes, as the Saints â led by new head coach Kellen Moore â were already a bit thin at receiver behind starters Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed. Fellow undrafted rookie Moochie Dixon was also out Sunday with an injury, and second-year wideout Bub Means (lower leg) was hurt during the game. The 2024 fifth-round pick, who missed the final nine games of his rookie year due to an ankle injury, had one catch for 12 yards before departing.
Chris Tyree is a Converted Running Back
Tyree played his final collegiate season at Virginia, where he caught 24 passes for 136 yards in 10 games (six starts). A former running back who converted to receiver, Tyree displayed blazing speed at his Pro Day, clocking in at 4.39 seconds in the 40-yard dash. He also had a 42-inch vertical leap.
Those numbers at least put him on the map for NFL teams, and the Saints took a chance on his raw abilities.
Tyree spent the previous four seasons with Notre Dame, rushing for 1,161 yards and eight touchdowns in 49 games. He also had 82 receptions for 945 yards and seven scores, plus a pair of return touchdowns.
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