Saints rookie Jordyn Tyson hints at Week 1 debut after limited practice

Jordyn Tyson gave Saints fans reason to believe he will make his NFL debut this Sunday against the Cleveland Browns.

The rookie first-round pick spoke to the media Thursday after his second consecutive limited practice.

Tyson has been on injured reserve since suffering a hamstring injury during an Aug. 13 practice.

He has missed the first seven games of the season.

The Saints opened his 21-day practice window on Wednesday.

Tyson now has three weeks to be activated to the 53-man roster or be shut down for the season.

But his comments suggest he wants to play as soon as possible.

"I feel 100%," Tyson told reporters.

"I ran the fastest I've ran since I've been in rehab, feel more explosive than I ever have."

That statement is backed up by the fact that he has logged consecutive limited practices.

Tyson also said his current hamstring injury is different from the one that bothered him in college.

"It was a contact injury," Tyson explained.

"It's not like I was running and I just pulled it. (The) guy pushed me very, very hard — a big dude at that — and kind of just went down on the sidelines."

He said he tried to stay "level-headed" after the setback.

"I've just been trying to be me throughout it all," Tyson said.

Despite his confidence, Saints coach Kellen Moore has not committed to playing Tyson on Sunday.

The Saints would likely want him to log at least one full practice before seeing game action.

That means Tyson's debut could still be delayed at least one more week.

But the wide receiver believes he is in game shape right now.

When asked if he feels normal, Tyson responded that he feels better than normal.

Tyson was selected with the eighth overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.

He was one of New Orleans' top performers in training camp before the injury.

He demonstrated a strong connection with quarterback Tyler Shough.

His shifty speed opened up the middle of the field during camp practices.

Shough has been careful to set expectations for Tyson's return.

"He's a dawg," Shough said.

"I think he brings this mentality, this elusiveness, this versatility to our offense that it's hard to replace."

"At the same time, there's a lot of unknown," Shough added.

"We haven't had a lot of reps with him."

"It could be even greater than we could imagine," Shough said.

"It could be not a significant role as we may think. And both are extremely OK."

"We have to do a better job as a whole offense," Shough concluded.

Tyson has used his time off to sharpen his mental game.

He watched Chris Olave excel early in the season.

He studied how Devaughn Vele creates space at the line of scrimmage in the red zone.

Tyson said he remained active in everything except practicing and playing.

He attended meetings and stayed engaged with the team.

"Got a slow start to the NFL, so I got to take my time and really adjust to it I feel like," Tyson said.

"So, I think it's been a blessing."

That positive attitude has impressed those around him.

Tyson's absence has been frustrating for fans.

But the receiver has put an interesting spin on his time off.

He compared his situation to rookie quarterbacks who sit and learn before playing.

Shough did the same thing last year with positive results for his development.

The weeks of mental preparation could help Tyson hit the ground running.

He now has a better idea of what professional preparation looks like.

He has learned what does and does not translate from college to the NFL.

The only thing left is his body giving him the green light.

His comments certainly sound like he is feeling physically ready.

"I think I'm doing just fine," Tyson said.

The Saints will see whether that explosiveness translates to the field.

If Tyson does play Sunday, his debut would require an official move adding him to the 53-man roster.