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The injury bug continued to take bites out of the New Orleans Saints depth. The Saints announced that both running back Ty Chandler and tight end Moliki Matavao were going on injured reserve with knee injuries. Both players suffered their respective injuries in the preseason loss to the Los Angeles Rams last week. New Orleans has now placed three players on IR this week, with defensive back Rejzohn Wright being placed on the list Monday. Those players joined defensive lineman Bryan Bresee and offensive guard Dillon Radunz, both of whom suffered ACL injuries early in camp. Players who land on injured reserve before teams trim their roster down to 53 players are not eligible to return to action for the rest of the season. Neither Chandler nor Matavao were expected to play large roles for the Saints this season, but both were making a case for the 53-man roster before their respective injuries. Chandler returned the opening kick of the Saints' first preseason game 86 yards to set up a touchdown, and had flashed explosive running ability while working with the second and third-team offenses during camp. New Orleans selected Matavao in the seventh round of last year's draft, and coach Kellen Moore had previously noted that he made the most out of his time with the practice squad in 2025. He turned in a strong performance against the Rams prior to his injury, hauling in three passes for 34 yards.