Adebo breaks leg in loss to Broncos as Saints injuries mount

NEW ORLEANS — Saints cornerback Paulson Adebo has a broken femur and will undergo immediate surgery to repair it, coach Dennis Allen said Thursday night.

Adebo was carted off in the second quarter of the Saints’ 33-10 loss to the Denver Broncos after he was injured trying to make a tackle. A vacuum splint was placed on his leg before he was moved to a cart and driven to the locker room. He was transported to a local hospital after undergoing X-rays, according to the game broadcast.

Adebo is the second starter the Saints have lost this week, as wide receiver Rashid Shaheed was put on injured reserve after meniscus surgery in Los Angeles earlier Thursday.

“We’re dealing with a lot of injuries right now, and that’s not an excuse. I don’t want anybody to misconstrue that as an excuse, but it is an issue for us, and I think all of us are trying to fight through that,” Allen said after the game.

Allen said Shaheed, the team’s leading receiver this season and an All-Pro kick returner, is a “big loss” because the team loses the explosive element he brought. The Saints were without their top two receivers against the Broncos, with Chris Olave also out because of a concussion.

“We’ve got a rookie quarterback (Spencer Rattler) out there with some backup players on the offensive line playing in front of him, and the two primary receivers are out of the game. It’s another challenge you have to overcome as a young player,” Allen said.

The Saints (2-5) have lost five games in a row, and the second game without starting quarterback Derek Carr, who has been out because of an oblique injury. The Saints have 10 days to rest before their game against the Chargers in Los Angeles on Oct. 27, but Allen said only that “it’s possible” Carr could play. Allen said it was more likely that tight end Taysom Hill, who has sat out four of the past five games, would return before Carr.

The Saints also are playing without three starting offensive linemen. Starting center Erik McCoy is on IR after groin surgery, and Cesar Ruiz has a knee injury that has caused him to sit out four games. McCoy’s replacement, Shane Lemieux, is also on IR.

“It’s hard when you lose five in a row,” Allen said. “And when you look at all the injuries on top of it, it makes it a lot more challenging. I think our guys are fighting, and yet the results aren’t showing.”

The Saints endured their second straight blowout loss and have their first five-game losing streak since the 2021 season. The Ceasars Superdome was almost empty by the end of the game Thursday night, with mostly Broncos fans remaining as Jake Haener replaced Rattler.

“I don’t blame the fans, it’s on us. … I’ve never experienced that, and if I was a fan, I’d leave, too, because it’s just not good enough right now,” Saints running back Alvin Kamara said. “There’s a certain standard that you’ve got to play up to.”

Rattler was sacked six times and had a hip issue at the end of the game but said he was OK afterward. Cornerback Marshon Lattimore (hamstring) and offensive guard Nick Saldiveri (shoulder) were both ruled out of the game. Saldiveri was filling in for injured guard/center Lucas Patrick (chest), who was active but did not play.

“Nobody’s going to be coming in here to be the savior,” Allen said. “We’re going to have to do it ourselves. And hopefully we’ll begin to get some guys back because look, early on in the season, we played good football, so I know this team has it in them. I got two tapes that show me that this team has good football in them and has got good coaching in them. But right now we’re not playing that way.”