Saints Center Erik McCoy to Miss Time With Biceps Injury, Expected Back This Season
Kellen Moore said the injury isn't a long-term one and he doesn't expect McCoy to need surgery, a year after a biceps tear ended his season
The Saints will be without their starting center for a while. Coach Kellen Moore said Monday that Erik McCoy will miss time with a biceps injury suffered late in Sunday's 23-22 overtime win over the Browns, though the team doesn't see it as a long-term problem, ESPN's Katherine Terrell reported.
Moore called it "not a long-term thing," said he didn't think McCoy would need surgery, and said he expects the center to play again this season. He didn't know yet whether the injury is related to the one McCoy had last year.
That history is why the news landed hard in New Orleans. McCoy played in only 14 games across the 2024 and 2025 seasons, and a biceps injury last year cost him the final 10 games. He went down near the end of regulation Sunday and stayed on the sideline through the rest of the fourth quarter and overtime.
The timing is rough because McCoy had been playing at a high level. He ranked second in the NFL in ESPN's pass block win rate at 94% before the injury, Terrell noted. The Saints only recently got left tackle Kelvin Banks Jr. back from injured reserve, activating him for the Browns game, and now lose the player in the middle of the line.
Sunday's win moved New Orleans to 3-5. The Saints host the Panthers on Sunday, Nov. 15, at 10 AM PT, and Moore's week-to-week approach means McCoy's status for that game and beyond will play out on the injury report.