Entering the season, the primary concern regarding Saints safety Jairus Byrd related to a back injury that required surgery after he signed a big-money contract with the team. But it’s a knee injury that ended Byrd’s season after only three games.
Former athletic trainer Mike Ryan, a contributor to NBCSN’s Pro Football Talk, explained the decision to shut Byrd down only a day after suffering the injury.
“The lateral, or outside, meniscus of the knee bears much more weight and stress than the medial meniscus when running and changing directions,” Ryan told PFT. “Because of the long-term concerns with lateral compartment problems, teams will typically treat lateral tears much more conservatively than medial meniscal injuries.”
That’s exactly what the Saints did, clearing Byrd off the roster and elevating Rafael Bush into the starting lineup.