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Why are Kaden Elliss and Carl Granderson not playing vs Falcons tonight? Know reason behind Saints defenders' absence
The New Orleans Saints are looking to secure their first home win when they take on the Atlanta Falcons on Monday Night Football.
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The New Orleans Saints are looking to secure their first home win when they take on the Atlanta Falcons on Monday Night Football. However, New Orleans will be without two contributors on defense for the divisional matchup.
Why is Kaden Elliss not playing tonight?
Kaden Elliss is unavailable for the Saints due to a calf issue, meaning the linebacker will miss the matchup against his former team.
Elliss was originally selected by the Saints in the seventh round of the 2019 NFL Draft and later spent three seasons with the Atlanta Falcons before returning to New Orleans this year. From 2023 through 2025, Elliss recorded 380 tackles during his stint in Atlanta.
The linebacker led the Falcons in tackles in both the 2024 and 2025 seasons before rejoining the Saints in March on a three-year, $33 million contract.
The 31-year-old veteran is responsible for relaying defensive calls as New Orleans’ green-dot linebacker, making his absence a significant blow at the heart of the unit. His absence could leave the Saints facing an even tougher task against Bijan Robinson.
Why is Carl Granderson not playing tonight?
Carl Granderson is also sitting out Monday night's game as the edge rusher continues to deal with an ankle injury.
Granderson picked up the ankle injury in the third quarter of the Saints’ Week 3 matchup against the Las Vegas Raiders.
While he managed to return briefly, the issue kept him out of practice throughout the following week and ultimately forced him to miss New Orleans’ Week 4 game against Atlanta.
