Saints center Erik McCoy out for short period after bicep injury
Coach Kellen Moore says the veteran will be managed week-to-week, sparing him a long-term absence after he left the win over Cleveland in the fourth quarter.
By Ibrahim Howard ·
New Orleans Saints center Erik McCoy will miss upcoming games with a bicep injury, but coach Kellen Moore says the veteran avoided a long-term setback. Moore told reporters on Monday that the team anticipates McCoy being out for a short period and will evaluate his availability on a week-to-week basis.
McCoy left the Saints' 23-22 victory over the Cleveland Browns in the fourth quarter. Backup center William Sherman stepped in to handle all remaining snaps. Sherman anchored the offensive line during the go-ahead drive in the fourth quarter and again during the overtime drive that secured the win.
This is not McCoy's first major injury in recent years. He missed the final 10 weeks of the previous season after suffering a torn left bicep. Moore did not specify whether McCoy injured the same arm this time. The uncertainty left the coaching staff to manage his return without a definitive long-term timeline.
McCoy has been a high performer when healthy. The 2019 second-round pick earned Pro Bowl selections following both the 2023 and 2024 seasons. However, injuries have limited his availability. He appeared in only seven games during each of the last two seasons. This new injury occurred in the eighth game of the 2026 season.
The Saints have two primary options to replace McCoy at the starting center position. The most likely scenario is that they continue to use Sherman, mirroring their strategy in Sunday's win. This approach keeps the current lineup stable while McCoy recovers.
The team could also shift guard Cesar Ruiz inside to center. Ruiz played center at the University of Michigan and handled some snaps during training camp. If Ruiz moves to center, Jeremiah Wright, a 2026 fourth-round pick, would take over at right guard.
Last season, the Saints faced a similar personnel decision. They chose to keep Ruiz at guard and insert Luke Fortner at center. The staff at that time reasoned that swapping Ruiz to center would create a downgrade at two positions rather than one.
