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Report: Saints OT Kelvin Banks Jr. to have ankle surgery

By Thomson Reuters Sep 21, 2026 | 11:08 AM

By Field Level Media

Sep 21 (Field Level Media) – New Orleans Saints left tackle Kelvin Banks ​Jr. is scheduled to ‌undergo ankle surgery and will be out indefinitely, NFL Network reported Monday.

Banks, 22, was carted off late in ‌the ​third quarter of ⁠a 24-17 victory ⁠over the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday. An MRI on Monday confirmed a severe high ankle sprain, ​according to the report.

Banks is now set to miss ⁠game action for the ⁠first time since New ​Orleans selected him ninth overall in ​the 2025 NFL Draft. He ‌started all 17 games last year as a rookie and started the first two games ⁠this season.

Asim Richards, 25, replaced Banks and will likely step into the starting ⁠lineup in ‌his absence. A ⁠fifth-round draft pick by Dallas ​in ‌2023, Richards has played ​in 38 ⁠games (five starts) over the last four seasons.

The Saints (1-1) are scheduled to face the Las Vegas Raiders in their home opener Sunday.

(–Field ​Level Media)