Former Auburn star Smoke Monday goes down with injury in Saints training camp

New Orleans Saints fans are holding their collective breath right now after rookie safety Smoke Monday went down in Tuesday’s training camp practice with a knee injury. According to NFL reporter Mike Garafolo, the likely diagnosis does not appear to be in the former Auburn Tigers’ favor.

“Saints rookie S Smoke Monday suffered what’s believed to be a significant knee injury today, sources say. Monday, an undrafted free agent from Auburn, has drawn praise from teammate Tyrann Mathieu for his ability and study habits,” wrote Garafolo via Twitter.

Monday went undrafted in the 2022 NFL Draft but quickly signed with the Saints shortly after. And it did not take long for the former Tiger to get acclimated to his new team and win over a few of the veterans. So far, during New Orleans offseason programs, Monday has looked the part of a top-tier draft selection and was viewed by many as a lock to make the Saints practice team roster at the very least. Hopefully, for the sake of Monday and the Saints, his injury is not too severe, and the damage will not impact his chances of being in New Orleans long-term.

Despite not being picked up during the draft, Monday – who was a standout safety at Auburn – has signed an undrafted free agent deal with the New Orleans Saints. According to Aaron Wilson of Pro Football Network, Monday’s deal with the Saints includes $120,000 guaranteed – with $100,000 of that being the safety’s base salary and $20,000 coming from his signing bonus.

A 6-foot-3, 199-pound defender, Monday put together a strong 2021 campaign for Auburn. While recording 63 total tackles, Monday also tallied nine tackles for loss to go along with two sacks and an interception – and that’s what impressed the New Orleans Saints while they were exploring undrafted free agent options.