Linebacker Jonathan Vilma will miss the New Orleans Saints final preseason game Thursday night against Tennessee because of a groin injury sustained in last week’s game against the San Diego Chargers.
Vilma and the Saints were taking the proper precautions to ensure the standout linebacker will be ready in time for the team’s regular season opener against the Minnesota Vikings on September 9.
Vilma missed practice Monday and flew to Philadelphia to get a second opinion from Dr. William Meyers, who performed a sports hernia surgery on Vilma last summer.
“We knew before he flew out this morning that the type of injury he had was not going to be a sports hernia surgery,” Coach Sean Payton of New Orleans said. “It’s really more of the lower abductor-groin area. The key was just having another set of eyes on it to confirm what we found, and then basically set the plan in place for the rehab.”
Payton added that he fully expects Vilma to be ready to practice when the team begins its preparations for the Vikings.
“Certainly he’ll be out this week, Payton said. “I think that we’re optimistic that he’s going to be able to start up practice when we get back on Sunday of next week, but we’re going to have to spend a lot of time here in the next six or seven days with treatment and all the things necessary.”