The silence was the first anomaly.
The six-week absence of a specific boisterousness that has been present during post-practice interviews in training camp for more than a decade-and-a-half, and has emanated from a particular corner of the New Orleans Saints locker room once the regular season started, was a deafening void.
The second anomaly was the person with whom the silence (and invisibility) was associated.
Saints edge rusher Cameron Jordan simply hasn't missed games. The world has been more likely to see a total solar eclipse (nine recorded globally since 2011) than to see Jordan miss an NFL game since he was drafted that year.
But when the Saints opened the 2026 season against the Lions on Sept. 13, and it was deemed that the hamstring Jordan injured in training camp on Aug. 6 wasn't quite game-ready, he missed the third game of his 16-year career.
He made his '26 debut and was back on the field against the Ravens in Week 2, a 24-17 victory by the Saints. New Orleans (1-1) will play the Raiders (2-0) in their home opener Sunday in the Caesars Superdome.
"Been a long time," said Jordan, the Saints' all-time leader with 132 sacks, who has played 244 career games. His two previous missed games, in December 2021 and November 2022, were due to a positive COVID test and fractured orbital bone, respectively. He played 172 consecutive games before missing his first.
"Felt like a little kid out there, playing just for the love of the game," Jordan said. "When you think about injuries, and mine was on the minor of the majors, when I think about being able to get back, I told (defensive coordinator Brandon) Staley every snap I'm out there, I feel stronger.
"We leave the field, we win the game — I wish I could have gotten (Ravens quarterback) Lamar (Jackson) down when he tried to escape through the middle."
Jordan was credited with two tackles against the Ravens. He's a sack away from passing Pro Football Hall of Famer Lawrence Taylor and Leslie O'Neal on the all-time sacks list, who are tied for 15th with 132.5.
Jordan chased his recovery as he would an elusive quarterback.
"I've been blessed to be able to overcome," he said. "As an athlete you're going to get injured. It's about attacking adversity daily.
"Got injured at the end of a practice and was like, I go deep diving, on the other side of how to get back to healing. I'm reading everything, applying everything — I changed out my office. I no longer have an office, I've got a rehab room now. I've got hyperbaric, I've got multiple things that guys are like, you can't just give out the sauce because everybody wants it. I'm bought all in. I've got all types of electric currents flowing through the body. I feel like I'm probably reenergized."
Energized, and a lot less quiet.
INJURY REPORT: Running back Kendre Miller (illness) was an addition to this week's injury report; he did not practice Thursday. Defensive lineman Davon Godchaux (rest) also did not practice, along with receiver Barion Brown (hamstring), defensive lineman Christen Miller (toe) and cornerback Martin Emerson Jr. (shoulder). Running back Travis Etienne Jr. (hamstring) remained a limited participant, while safety Jonas Sanker (knee), defensive lineman Nathan Shepherd (hip), edge Chase Young (calf) and linebacker Isaiah Stalbird (shoulder) practiced full.
