Head coach Dennis Allen said Saturday that the Saints would be interested in bringing Perry (hamstring) back on the practice squad, Luke Johnson of The New Orleans Times-Picayune reports.
Perry has been a healthy scratch or ruled out with illness or injury over the first four games of the regular season, and he was waived by the Saints on Friday. The 2023 sixth-round pick could get picked up by a team off the wire, but if he clears waivers, there appears to be some interest for him to stick around on the Saints' practice squad. In his rookie year, Perry caught 12 passes (on 18 targets) for 246 yards and four touchdowns across 10 regular-season games.
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Saints' A.T. Perry: Appears to be past illness
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Perry (illness) was not listed on the Saints' injury report Wednesday.
Perry has yet to appear in a regular-season game this year, with an illness keeping him out of the Saints' Week 3 loss to the Eagles. The 2023 sixth-round pick was a full participant in Wednesday's practice, indicating that he's fully recovered from his ailment.
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Saints' A.T. Perry: Draws questionable tag
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Perry (illness) was a full participant in Friday's practice and is listed as questionable ahead of Sunday's game against Philadelphia, Katherine Terrell of ESPN.com reports.
Perry popped up on the Saints' injury report Thursday with an illness that limited his participation in practice. His ability to practice in full Friday suggests that the 2023 sixth-round pick is trending towards being available for Sunday's game.
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Saints' A.T. Perry: Dealing with illness
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Perry (illness) was limited in Thursday's practice session.
Perry was a full participant in Wednesday's practice, but he now appears to be dealing with an illness. Friday's injury report should give a better indication of Perry's status for Week 3 against the Eagles. The 2023 sixth-round pick has yet to appear in a regular-season game this year.
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Saints' A.T. Perry: Healthy scratch Sunday
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Perry (coach's decision) is inactive for Sunday's game against the Cowboys.
The wide receiver missed Week 1 with a hand injury but returned to practice this week. Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed are entrenched as New Orleans' starters with Cedrick Wilson, Bub Means, Mason Tipton and Perry competing for snaps behind them. Perry caught 12 passes for 246 yards and four scores as a rookie in 2023.
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Saints' A.T. Perry: Full practice Wednesday
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Perry (hand) was a full practice participant Wednesday.
Perry didn't play Week 1 against the Panthers after sitting out practice last Thursday and Friday due to a hand injury. The issue isn't affecting his on-field reps this week, however, indicating he's good to go for Sunday's visit to the Cowboys. Perry thus will be in consideration for wideout reps alongside Cedrick Wilson behind starters Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed.
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Saints' A.T. Perry: Listed as questionable
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Perry (hand) is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against Carolina, Katherine Terrell of ESPN.com reports.
Perry wasn't listed on the injury report Wednesday but then missed practice Thursday and Friday. It's unclear if his absence would significantly impact the Saints' plans on offense, as Cedrick Wilson may have been positioned for the No. 3 receiver role in any case. The distribution of WR snaps and targets beyond Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed remains uncertain heading into Sunday's home game against Carolina.
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Saints' A.T. Perry: Not practicing
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Perry (hand) didn't practice Friday, Matthew Paras of The New Orleans Times-Picayune reports.
Perry was added to the injury report Thursday as a non-participant. The consecutive absences suggest he's in real danger of missing Sunday's game against the Panthers, in which case Cedrick Wilson, Bub Means and/or Mason Tipton could play more snaps than previously expected. Either way, Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed remain runaway favorites to get the most snaps and targets.
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Saints' A.T. Perry: Two long catches Sunday
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Perry caught two of four targets for 67 yards in Sunday's 30-27 preseason loss to the Titans.
Perry's contributions in the preseason finale went beyond what ended up in the box score, as he also had an 18-yard touchdown nullified by a holding penalty in the third quarter, had an 11-yard catch overturned on a challenge in the first quarter and drew a 21-yard pass interference penalty in the fourth. His two receptions that counted went for 24 and 43 yards, with one pass apiece coming from Jake Haener and Spencer Rattler. Perry's ability to stretch the field could earn the 2023 sixth-round draft pick meaningful playing time, especially if Rashid Shaheed (toe/foot) isn't fully healthy by the time the Saints begin the regular season Sunday, Sept. 8 against the Panthers.
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Saints' A.T. Perry: Slow start to camp
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Coach Dennis Allen said the Saints are still waiting on Perry to step up and make some plays this summer, Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football reports.
Allen's assessment was less than glowing, to put it politely. He said Perry has been "fine" during training camp and is "talented enough to make the team" but needs to show it more often on the practice field. There's been some thought Perry could step in as a regular starter for the receiver-needy Saints after his late-season cameo as a rookie in 2023, but Allen's comments make it sound like he's fighting for a roster spot. Cedrick Wilson, Equanimeous St. Brown, Bub Means and Mason Tipton are the other main candidates for snaps behind starters Chris Olave (hip) and Rashid Shaheed.
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Saints' A.T. Perry: Playing in Week 18
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Perry (illness) is listed as active Sunday against the Falcons.
Since Michael Thomas (knee) went down Week 10, Perry has played a more prominent role in the Saints offense, recording at least one catch in seven games in a row. His output (9-193-2 line on 15 targets) during that span has been nothing to write home about, and he's coming off an illness that sidelined him at Thursday's practice. Still, with RB Alvin Kamara (ankle) inactive, Perry now will have to contend with only WRs Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed and TE Juwan Johnson (chest) for looks from QB Derek Carr.
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Saints' A.T. Perry: Listed as questionable despite full practice
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Perry (illness) is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Falcons, Mike Triplett of NewOrleans.Football reports.
Perry was a full participant Friday in his return to practice, suggesting he'll likely play in the Saints' crucial Week 18 matchup. He's seen a lot of playing time but not many targets filling in for Michael Thomas (knee) the past month and a half, mostly serving as the fourth or fifth option in a passing game that also features WR Chris Olave, RB Alvin Kamara (ankle), WR Rashid Shaheed and TE Juwan Johnson (chest) as pass catchers for QB Derek Carr. For their regular-season finale, the Saints have three of those players listed as questionable, with Kamara seemingly in more danger than Perry and Johnson.
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Saints' A.T. Perry: Two targets in big win
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Perry totaled one reception (on two targets) for five yards during Sunday's 23-13 win against the Buccaneers.
Perry logged two targets during the second quarter, marking his only notable action in Sunday's crucial win for the Saints. The rookie out of Wake Forest has come on somewhat over the second half of the season, but he's still logged more than three targets just once this season. Perry has shown big-play ability with two touchdown catches of 20-plus yards this season. However, unless he can find the end zone again Week 18, his fantasy value should remain inconsequential during next Sunday's regular-season finale against Atlanta.
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Saints' A.T. Perry: Grabs two targets Sunday
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Perry gathered in both of his targets for 34 yards during Sunday's 24-6 win versus the Giants.
Perry took two short passes for explosive catch-and-runs with receptions of 18 and 16 yards Sunday. The rookie wideout has had his workload and playing time increase as of late while Michael Thomas (knee) has been on IR. However, his target share didn't move much even though No. 1 wideout Chris Olave (ankle) was inactive Week 15. Perry has now logged seven receptions (on 12 targets) 154 yards and a touchdown this season, with all of those stats coming across the past five games. While Thomas is now eligible to come off injured reserve, the Saints will have a very short turnaround before playing against the Rams on Thursday Night Football. Thomas' continued absence could continue to lead to increased, though likely marginal, opportunities for Perry in Week 16.
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Saints' A.T. Perry: Catches 44-yard pass in win
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Perry caught his only target for 44 yards during Sunday's 28-6 win versus the Panthers.
Perry recorded the longest reception of his career, hauling in a 44-yard pass from quarterback Derek Carr midway through the fourth quarter. The 6-foot-4 rookie has seen starting reps over the past four games while Michael Thomas has been injured and on IR with a knee injury. The Saints' receiving corps is extremely short-handed with starter Rashid Shaheed (thigh) also inactive for the second game in a row Week 14, yet Perry's production was still limited, and he's now logged five catches (on 10 targets) for 119 yards over the last four games. The sixth-round pick's most notable impact was when he hauled in a touchdown pass on a broken play in Week 10. Barring an injury to No. 1 wideout Chris Olave, Perry's role is likely to remain limited to just a handful of targets when the Saints face the Giants on Sunday, Dec. 17.
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Saints' A.T. Perry: Logs two targets in loss
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Perry gathered in one of two targets for seven yards during Sunday's 24-15 loss to the Falcons.
Perry once again saw increased playing time with veteran wideout Michael Thomas (knee) now on injured reserve. The 6-foot-4 rookie played the most offensive snaps (53) of any Saints receiver Sunday, but he still finished in a four-way tie for the team's fifth-most targets. Perry's biggest contribution actually came when he recovered a fumble by quarterback Derek Carr in the third quarter. The Wake Forest product has now totaled six targets while playing over 70 percent of offensive snaps in both of the past two games for New Orleans. Perry should continue to see increased playing time if Chris Olave (concussion) and/or Rashid Shaheed (thigh) are sidelined Week 13 after they were both forced out due to injury versus Atlanta.
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Saints' A.T. Perry: Hauls in first two passes
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Perry accrued two receptions (on four targets) for 38 yards and one touchdown during Sunday's 27-19 loss to the Vikings.
Perry saw the first significant usage of his career, playing 84 percent of New Orleans' offensive snaps while also logging the first four targets of his rookie season. The sixth-round pick was a healthy scratch through the first seven weeks of the season, but he made his NFL debut Week 8 after surpassing Keith Kirkwood on the wideout depth chart. Perry also came through big when he went up and made a contested touchdown catch on a pass thrown all the way back across the field by backup quarterback Jameis Winston, who relieved injured starter Derek Carr (shoulder) late in the second quarter. Perry's usage was likely expanded after starting wideout Michael Thomas was ruled out with a knee injury early on in Sunday's game. The Saints are on bye Week 11, so it will be worth monitoring Thomas' injury status when determining what, if any, value Perry may have in the Week 12 contest against Atlanta.
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Saints' A.T. Perry: Inactive again
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Perry (coach's decision) is inactive for Sunday's game against the Texans.
Despite making the Saints' initial 53-man roster, Perry has yet to see the field this season. The rookie sixth-round pick is currently behind Chris Olave, Michael Thomas, Rashid Shaheed, Keith Kirkwood and Lynn Bowden on the wideout depth chart.
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Saints' A.T. Perry: Three grabs Sunday
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Perry caught three of five targets for 22 yards in Sunday's preseason win over the Chargers.
The 2023 sixth-round pick out of Wake Forest couldn't follow up his huge showing in the Saints' preseason opener, with his longest catch going for only nine yards. Perry remains in a fight for a depth spot in the receiving corps, but he did get the start Sunday with New Orleans resting all its regular skill players, and he was on the other end of Jameis Winston's first completion. The rookie will get one more chance to separate himself from the pack in preseason action Sunday, Aug. 27 against the Texans.
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Saints' A.T. Perry: Leading receiver in preseason debut
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Perry caught all six of his targets for 70 yards and a touchdown during Sunday's 26-24 preseason win versus the Chiefs.
Perry wound up playing the second-most offensive snaps of any Saints wideouts, as veteran receivers Rashid Shaheed (groin) and Tre'Quan Smith (groin) were both sidelined by injuries. The 6-foot-3 rookie immediately established a connection with backup quarterback Jameis Winston, catching a 14-yard pass to begin the Saints' second offensive series. He followed this with a 29-yard touchdown reception on a deep crosser route three plays later. Starting quarterback Derek Carr also said that Perry was a "featured" piece of the team's game plan even though the rookie sixth round-pick got off to a rough start in training camp, according to Jeff Duncan of NOLA.com. Perry finished as New Orleans' leading receiver during his preseason debut, and this strong performance should go a long way toward his chances to make New Orleans' final 53-man roster.