If you blinked, you might have missed Saints linebacker Jonathan Vilma’s entire 2013 season.
Vilma was activated from injured reserve on Sunday in time to play against the Jets, which Vilma did, but his stay on the active roster wasn’t particularly long. Multiple Saints beat writers report that the team has placed Vilma on injured reserve, ending his season after just one game and one tackle.
There’s no word of a new injury or a setback to the existing knee troubles that caused Vilma to spend the first half of the season on IR/return, but neither option holds much promise for Vilma’s future. He took a big pay cut to remain with the Saints this season and it has been years since Vilma has been able to remain a healthy and productive player for an entire season.
Vilma’s absence won’t change much for the Saints defense since he wasn’t a member of it for much of the season. They still need to get better at stopping the run and today’s move just means Vilma won’t be part of any solution.