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Buccaneers' NFC South Rivals Face Devastating Blow After Key Player Out for 2024

The New Orleans Saints will be facing an uphill battle in 2024 as they try to navigate their struggles at one of the most important positions on the field.

Collin Haalboom

November 27, 2022; Santa Clara, California, USA; New Orleans Saints offensive tackle Ryan Ramczyk (71) after the game against the San Francisco 49ers at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
November 27, 2022; Santa Clara, California, USA; New Orleans Saints offensive tackle Ryan Ramczyk (71) after the game against the San Francisco 49ers at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports / Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
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The New Orleans Saints will be without one of their best players for the entire 2024 season.

On Friday, Adam Schefter of ESPN reported that Saints' OT, Ryan Ramczyk, has been placed on the PUP List and will be out for the season.

It's been well-documented that Ramczyk, who's been one of the better offensive tackles since he entered the league back in 2017, has been dealing with a knee injury. That said, the specific nature of that injury and his recovery timeline was far less clear.

READ MORE: Buccaneers Offensive Lineman Named Potential Breakout Player in 2024

Last winter, Ramcyzk underwent a procedure to correct a knee injury that had lingered for over a year. Although Ramczyzk had been away from the team, Saints' head coach Dennis Allen mentioned earlier in the offseason that he was unsure as to whether or not his star tackle would be available for the start of training camp.

This update from Schefter confirms that not only will Ramczyk miss training camp, but that the Saints will be without their star tackle for the entire 2024 campaign. With 2022 first-round pick Trevor Penning having struggled mightily so far in his young career, Ramczyk's absence will create some major issues for a Saints offensive line that was already a major point of concern.

Thankfully for New Orleans, they used their first-round pick in the 2024 draft on another offensive tackle when they selected Tylese Fuaga 14th overall out of Oregon State. Although Fuaga projects to be an above-average starter at the position at some point, it's tough to expect a rookie to come in and thrive right away. His inexperience, combined with Penning's inability, means the New Orleans Saints will have quite a challenge this season when it comes to assembling a competent offensive line.

Hopefully, Ryan Ramczyk makes a full recovery from this injury and is healthy to play again in 2025. If not, it may be a long wait before the New Orleans Saints are able to compete in the NFC South again.

READ MORE: Bucs News: 5 Major Question Marks Ahead of Buccaneers Training Camp

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Collin Haalboom

COLLIN HAALBOOM

Prior to joining BucsGameday and Sports Illustrated, Collin's written content was provided through Bucs Banter, and NFL Draft Lounge. He is also the creator and host of the Bucs Banter Podcast. He is a graduate of the Communication Studies program at McMaster University, where he was also a varsity basketball player, and later an advanced scout. He lives with his wife and two children in Hamilton, ON. You can follow Collin on YouTube and Twitter.