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Dec 01, 2023

Why did Saints bench Trevor Penning? Here's the explanation

Trevor Penning's stint on the sidelines in Week 6 didn't last long, but why was he there in the first place? Saints head coach Dennis Allen provided some clarity after a 20-13 loss to the Texans as to

Trevor Penning's stint on the sidelines in Week 6 didn't last long, but why was he there in the first place?

Saints head coach Dennis Allen provided some clarity after a 20-13 loss to the Texans as to what went into the decision to bench the former first-round pick, with James Hurst kicking out to start at left tackle, and Max Garcia slotting in at guard.

"Five games in and I saw some improvements from the player," Allen said, "and yet I wanted him to be able to kind of sit back and see the game from a different perspective and kind of see the game that way."

It was a choice that could have been projected based on the team's alignment in practice throughout the week, though it did get a bit murky due to a groin issue that cropped up with Andrus Peat throughout the week. He was active, but only available in case of emergency. The plan went awry in the first half when Hurst went down with an ankle injury.

Penning came off the bench and the result was one of his least effective outings of the season after struggling mightily in pass protection to start the year. The second-year pro allowed five pressures, according to Pro Football Focus, along with a sack and was flagged for two penalties (one declined).

Allen maintains that the team is still committed to Penning long term, and his stint on the bench was intended to help spur some growth with a step back. Penning was informed of the decision mid-week and responded well, the head coach said.

“I look at him as still a rookie player and there’s some ups and downs that go along with that," Allen said. "There’s different ways to learn. There’s trial by fire and then there’s giving a guy an opportunity to kind of step back, take a breath and again, like I said, see the game from a different perspective. So that’s what went into the decision.”

With the quick turnaround for Thursday Night Football the state of the Saints' offensive line will be a major question. Hurst will have just a few days to work back from the ankle injury, and RT Ryan Ramczyk left the game with a possibly concussion. It is highly unlikely that he'll clear the concussion protocol in three days. Backup RT Landon Young was out for the game with a hip injury, forcing Cesar Ruiz to kick out for the first reps at RT of his NFL career. Rookie Nick Saldiveri took over at guard to close out the game.

Signs would indicate that it's likely Penning back in the starting rotation vs the Jaguars.

"I thought he had a good week of practice, and he knows that he’s got to continue to work to get better, which he’s going to do," Allen said. "I thought he handled it well and we’ll see where we’re at next week.”