
THE APEX TIMES
Rejzohn Wright set to miss the 2026 season after hip injury, Saints coach confirms
New Orleans lost cornerback and special teams contributor Rejzohn Wright for the year after a hip injury that requires surgery, a blow to the Saints’ depth in the back end and on units that frequently swing games through field position.
The New Orleans Saints will be without cornerback and special teams contributor Rejzohn Wright for the entire 2026 season. Saints head coach Kellen Moore confirmed the timeline, stating that Wright’s hip injury will require surgery and will keep him out for the year.
For a team like New Orleans, the impact goes beyond the cornerback spot. Wright has also been described as a special teams contributor, roles that matter in the NFL’s weekly chess match of kickoff and punt coverage, returns, and field-position battles. When a player is removed from both the defensive depth chart and the special teams mix, it forces an immediate reshaping of practice reps and game-day usage.
Moore’s confirmation underscores that the injury is not expected to be handled with a short-term plan. A hip injury that leads to surgery typically changes how teams manage the return timeline, with rehabilitation and reconditioning taking precedence over any notion of a quick comeback. In practical terms, the Saints must now plan without Wright as they work through training-camp-to-season continuity.
The Saints’ offseason planning will also have to account for Wright’s absence as a contributor rather than a longer-term developmental project. Depth at cornerback is particularly valuable because injuries and performance fluctuations can appear in waves across a season, and special teams contributors often become the first or second line of adjustments when other players are sidelined or rested.
Wright’s departure creates a clearer need for New Orleans to distribute responsibilities across the cornerback group and the special teams units. That could mean increased opportunities for other defensive backs on coverage snaps, along with expanded roles for players who already serve on punts and kickoffs. The immediate question for the Saints becomes not only who replaces Wright on paper, but who can handle the specific workload expectations that special teams demand.
What to watch next is how quickly the Saints settle their depth-rotation plans. With the coach confirming a season-ending prognosis, New Orleans’ subsequent roster decisions, practice usage, and preseason looks will likely reveal who the staff trusts to absorb Wright’s snaps on defense and special teams. Those choices, even before the regular season fully begins, can shape the team’s margin for error on third downs, in the red zone, and in the field-position swings that follow kickoff and punt play.
Why It Matters
- Losing a player who contributes in both the secondary and special teams can force wider rotation changes than a standard position-only injury.
- Hip injuries that require surgery typically remove a player from short-term planning, narrowing the margin for in-season depth mistakes.
- The Saints’ early-season performance in field-position battles may be affected as new contributors absorb punt and kickoff coverage responsibilities.
- The cornerback depth chart becomes a bigger decision area, especially if multiple players also need development reps to cover for an absence.
Sources
Key Facts
- New Orleans Saints head coach Kellen Moore confirmed that cornerback and special teams contributor Rejzohn Wright will miss the entire 2026 season.
- The injury is a hip problem that will require surgery, per the coach’s confirmation.
- Wright is described as both a cornerback and a special teams contributor, increasing the roster impact of the injury.
- With Wright out for the year, the Saints must adjust their defensive depth and special teams coverage assignments.