Less than four months after the Saints snagged wide receiver Jordyn Tyson eighth overall in the 2026 NFL Draft, he’s back on the sidelines. He suffered a hamstring injury that could sideline him for two months, potentially missing at least the first quarter of his rookie season. For a player whose career has been defined by injuries as much as his talent, this can’t exactly be a shocker for New Orleans fans.
The Draft Day Bet They Made
It felt like a huge gamble, even on draft night. Tyson had missed the end of Arizona State’s 2025 season with a left hamstring injury and had skipped workouts at the NFL Scouting Combine and ASU’s pro day. NFL teams, including the Saints, needed a health barometer. They got it with a private workout where Tyson ran two dozen routes, dropped only one pass, and looked explosive. ESPN’s Pete Thamel even tweeted that Tyson “showed the twitch, explosiveness and leaping ability we all saw in the fall. He showed he’s healthy and still explosive, which is all he needed to do.” Giants GM Joe Schoen and Dolphins GM Jon-Eric Sullivan were there, among more than half the NFL teams. That workout apparently alleviated those health concerns and vaulted him close to the top of the draft board. The Saints, knowing the risks, made the move, drafting him eighth overall.
The Scary History They Knew All Along
But let’s be real, the Saints knew what they were getting. This isn’t Tyson’s first rodeo with injuries. His college career was a highlight reel of bad luck. In 2022, he tore three ligaments in his left knee, wiping out most of two seasons. He transferred to ASU, only to suffer a fractured collarbone late in 2024, missing the Big 12 championship and a playoff game. 2025 brought a sprained ankle that cost him most of spring practices, and later that season, a strained hamstring that sidelined him for three more games. Saints head coach Kellen Moore is calling this latest hamstring a “fluke thing,” claiming “this has nothing to do with Jordyn’s history.” But an AFC scouting director, who worried about Tyson’s risk factor, said Tyson was one of their most debated prospects in pre-draft meetings. The director pointed out that Tyson “hasn’t had a healthy season , fully healthy , since high school.” And another scout just texted a single, damning word: “Hurt.”
So, here we are. The Saints put a massive investment into a player known for being hurt, and he’s hurt again. This current hamstring is supposedly unrelated to his past issues, but does it really matter? What matters is a top-10 pick is out for months. The team has to be looking at this with some serious questions. Will Tyson ever get a chance to show that twitch and explosiveness on a consistent basis? Only time, and maybe his hamstrings, will tell.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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