Saints Thursday Injury Report, Week 1

With the season opener 3 days away, the New Orleans Saints saw their injury report shrink by only 1.

Veteran running back Tim Hightower returned to practice on Thursday, but linebacker Davis Tull (shoulder), linebacker Dannell Ellerbe (toe), cornerback Keenan Lewis (hip), safety Jairus Byrd (knee) and running back C.J. Spiller (knee) did not take part as they remain sidelined.

Lewis is expected to miss a minimum of a month after undergoing hip surgery last week, while Byrd spent the preseason on PUP (physically unable to perform), Ellerbe missed all of training camp after the first preseason game, and C.J. Spiller underwent arthroscopic knee surgery last month.

Tull played in three preseason games, but has not practiced this week.

New Orleans kicks off their regular season Sunday in Arizona against the Cardinals. Kickoff is set for 3:05.