Saints left tackle Kelvin Banks Jr. faces surgery after severe high ankle sprain in Week 2

New Orleans Saints left tackle Kelvin Banks Jr. suffered a severe high ankle sprain late in the third quarter of the team's 24-17 win over the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday and will undergo surgery in the coming days, with an indefinite return timeline. Banks was carted off and ruled out during the game after landing awkwardly on his ankle when he got rolled up on after a Mike Green sack, according to CBS Sports.

Coach Kellen Moore announced Monday that Banks is out indefinitely and will undergo surgery, per ESPN. Moore said the team would have a better idea on a timeline for Banks' return after the surgery is completed. Per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, as reported by CBS Sports, Banks "has a chance to return late in the season if all goes well." Banks will almost certainly be placed on injured reserve, per ESPN.

Banks, 22, was the ninth pick of the 2025 draft and started all 17 games at left tackle for New Orleans last season. Across the final five weeks of last season, Banks was Pro Football Focus' 12th-rated offensive tackle, according to CBS Sports.

Asim Richards, a fourth-year pro with just five career starts, took over at left tackle for the remainder of the game. Moore said of Richards: "Asim was asked to play a number of snaps last year, and he'll be asked to play a number of snaps this year. I think he's gotten better through the offseason. I thought he hopped in there and battled," per ESPN. The Saints' only other tackle on the roster after Banks, Fuaga, and Richards is Mason Murphy, a 2026 undrafted free agent, according to CBS Sports. Taliese Fuaga, the Saints' 2024 first-round draft pick, started the 2024 season at left tackle but switched to right tackle last season, per ESPN.

The Bottom Line: Banks' surgery and indefinite timeline represent a major loss for a Saints team that is 1-1 and has positioned itself as a playoff contender. The depth at left tackle beyond Banks is thin, and Richards will carry the load in the interim. The critical marker will be whether the Saints' medical team can narrow the recovery window after surgery; high ankle sprains requiring surgery typically sideline players for months, not weeks.