Saints lose Justin Reid to a concussion in Paris, ending his streak of every defensive snap this season

Safety Justin Reid entered the concussion protocol during the New Orleans Saints’ 16-10 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers at the Stade de France on Sunday, and the club ruled him out for the remainder of the game.

The injury takes out one of the steadiest pieces of Brandon Staley’s defense. Reid, 29, had not left the field once on defense this season: he played all 410 defensive snaps across the Saints’ first six games and added 32 more on special teams. He signed with New Orleans as a free agent last year and calls the coverage for the back end of the unit.

Losing him in the middle of a one-score game against a playoff-chasing opponent left New Orleans thin at a position where it had not needed a backup all season.

How the Saints covered for him

New Orleans kept its alignment intact rather than reshuffle the secondary. Fourth-year backup Jordan Howden took Reid’s spot, which let Jonas Sanker stay in the slot role he has been playing, with Julian Blackmon at the other safety position.

The Saints had arrived in France with nobody ruled out. Right guard Cesar Ruiz (knee) and defensive tackle Nathan Shepherd (illness) were questionable going in, while linebacker Kaden Elliss and edge rusher Anfernee Jennings returned after missing three weeks. Quarterback Tyler Shough, playing through a left hand injury, started and finished the game.

The Saints did not announce any other in-game injuries.

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The timing helps

The bye could not come at a better moment for Reid. The Saints, now 2-5, have no game next weekend, which gives him close to two weeks to work through the league’s return-to-play steps: symptom checks, a gradual increase in exertion, non-contact practice and finally clearance from an independent neurological consultant. If he has not cleared by the time practice resumes, Howden would be in line for another start.

Pittsburgh comes through healthy

The Steelers, who improved to 5-2, did not report a significant injury from the trip. Edge rusher T.J. Watt banged knees with a teammate while rushing Shough but came back into the game and later added a sack. Pittsburgh played without cornerback Brandin Echols (hamstring) and receiver Ben Skowronek (calf), both ruled out before the team flew to Paris.

What comes next

The Saints host the Cleveland Browns on Sunday, November 8, at 1 p.m. EST, and their first practice report of that week will show where Reid stands in the protocol. The Steelers host the Browns on Sunday, November 1, at 1 p.m. EST. Read the full recap of the game, the Saints’ pregame injury report and the latest designations on the injury page.