Saints’ Ramczyk to IR as he seeks knee answer

TAMPA, Fla. — The New Orleans Saints have placed starting right tackle Ryan Ramczyk on injured reserve, the team announced Saturday.

The move is set to end Ramczyk’s season. Ramczyk, 29, and the Saints doctors are trying to find a solution to a recurring issue that has caused him pain in his knee for the past three seasons.

Saints coach Dennis Allen said Friday there have been ongoing discussions between Ramczyk, the team and doctors regarding a cartilage defect in Ramczyk’s knee. Ramczyk said earlier in the week that the wear and tear of the NFL had caused the cartilage in the knee to deteriorate.

Allen and Ramczyk both said no decisions have been made about the next step, although one possibility could be surgery.

“I don’t know,” Ramczyk said Thursday about a possible fix. “I think those are the discussions we are going to have, that need to be had, and we’ll go from there. … I’ll talk with surgeons, doctors, get as much as information as I can and then just make the best decision.”

The Saints have tried to manage Ramczyk’s snap count during training camp and regular-season practices, and he was able to get through the 2022 season.

Ramczyk, a 2017 first-round pick and All-Pro in 2019, said he entered the season optimistic they could manage the issue like last year. However, he said the knee began having issues again as early as Week 1, and he continued to play as long as he could this season.

“This year it’s bugged me a little bit more than it has in the past,” he said. “At some point, I just couldn’t play anymore.”

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