SAD: Saints the most-injured team the last four seasons

That comes as no surprise to those of us who follow the squad.

Numbers and statistics are entertaining. Compiling numbers can be enjoyable. And that is exactly what SportsFacts.org does. SportsFacts went through and collated data on the injuries suffered by each NFL team during the last four seasons.

To no one’s surprise, the Saints have had the most players placed on injured reserve in the last four years combined:

The Saints have had 88 players placed on injured reserve over the last four seasons, with 11 in 2018, 27 in 2017, 31 in 2016, and 19 in 2015. The Saints made the playoffs in both 2018 and 2017, which should be considered an accomplishment given their injury numbers.

The next two most injured teams were the Washington football team with 85 and the New York Jets with 82, however both teams only made one postseason appearance (Washington in 2015) during the four years.

Obviously, there are some limitations in this methodology: it does not distinguish between players who are placed on IR for the remainder of the season and those who later return. It also does not take into account when injuries occur. That example, one injury in Week 1 could be more difficult to overcome than two injuries in Week 16. It also ignores the caliber of the player placed on injured reserve, as well as the team’s record at the time of the injury. There may be problems in the data presentation, but that doesn’t change the fact that the Saints have suffered a lot of injuries recently.

The Saints haven’t had it easy due to the number of injuries they’ve suffered, and their division hasn’t helped matters. The Atlanta Falcons had the fewest injuries (44), while the Carolina Panthers (57) and Tampa Bay Buccaneers (65) were in the middle of the pack.