Why are Kaden Elliss and Carl Granderson not playing vs Falcons tonight? Know reason behind Saints defenders' absence

The New Orleans Saints are looking to secure their first home win when they take on the Atlanta Falcons on Monday Night Football.

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The New Orleans Saints are looking to secure their first home win when they take on the Atlanta Falcons on Monday Night Football. However, New Orleans will be without two contributors on defense for the divisional matchup.

Why is Kaden Elliss not playing tonight?

Kaden Elliss is unavailable for the Saints due to a calf issue, meaning the linebacker will miss the matchup against his former team.

Elliss was originally selected by the Saints in the seventh round of the 2019 NFL Draft and later spent three seasons with the Atlanta Falcons before returning to New Orleans this year. From 2023 through 2025, Elliss recorded 380 tackles during his stint in Atlanta.

The linebacker led the Falcons in tackles in both the 2024 and 2025 seasons before rejoining the Saints in March on a three-year, $33 million contract.

The 31-year-old veteran is responsible for relaying defensive calls as New Orleans’ green-dot linebacker, making his absence a significant blow at the heart of the unit. His absence could leave the Saints facing an even tougher task against Bijan Robinson.

Carl Granderson is also sitting out Monday night's game as the defensive end continues to deal with an ankle injury.

Granderson picked up the ankle injury in the third quarter of the Saints’ Week 3 matchup against the Las Vegas Raiders.

While he managed to return briefly, the issue kept him out of practice throughout the following week and ultimately forced him to miss New Orleans’ Week 4 game against Atlanta.

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  Ojas Jaiswal is a Content Producer at Hindustan Times, currently working with the US Desk, where he covers a wide spectrum of American sports and global news developments. From high-intensity NFL moments on the field to the latest off-court NBA storylines, he specializes in delivering engaging, audience-driven stories that blend factual accuracy with compelling narratives. A graduate in Journalism and Mass Communication from Bennett University, Ojas brings over two years of experience in digital journalism. Before joining Hindustan Times, he worked with EssentiallySports, a leading digital sports media platform catering to American sports audiences, where he contributed across multiple editorial and engagement-focused roles. He also interned with Times Network at the Sports Desk, producing articles and video content across diverse sports, ranging from Formula 1 to football. Known for his commitment to factual and accurate reporting, Ojas was awarded a Certificate of Excellence in Editing during his college years. Beyond sports journalism, he closely follows international affairs and global developments, while also exploring documentaries from different cultures and regions around the world. A lifelong football enthusiast, Ojas has admired Lionel Messi since childhood and continues to draw inspiration from the football icon’s journey and legacy.Read More