<span>New Orleans Saints running back/punt returner Reggie Bush was placed on the reserve/injured list today after suffering a sprained knee on Thursday night in Chicago against the Bears.
Saints Head Coach Sean Payton indicated today that Bush would be traveling to Birmingham, Alabama later this week to consult with Dr. James Andrews, but preliminary MRI's taken of his knee indicate that Bush has a sprained MCL that will require rehabilitation.
"It's an MCL sprain and for him right now it's going to be rehab and rest with it," said head Coach Sean Payton. "With two weeks remaining in the season we just felt that it was the best way to go with his injury and it allowed us to acquire another player."
"He's seeing Dr. (James A.) Andrews on Friday, but in his case we feel pretty optimistic about what he has. He wouldn't have been put on IR if we had more than two or three weeks left in the season. In other words, the news is fairly good, which is encouraging."
Payton also said that he is confident the injury will not be a long term malady and that he spent time talking to Bush on Tuesday and setting the course for the next few months. "He should be able to recover 100% and be ready for the start of the offseason program," Payton said.
In 2008 Bush had 106 carries for 404 yards (3.8 avg.) with two rushing touchdowns, is second on the team with 52 receptions for 440 yards 98.5 avg.) with four touchdowns and 20 punt returns for 270 yards (13.5) with three touchdowns. He was named as the first alternate to the NFC Pro Bowl squad on Tuesday as a kick returner.
The player the Saints brought in to replace Bush's spot on the active 53-man roster was six-year veteran cornerback Michael Lehan, a 6-0, 200-pound product of the University of Minnesota, who most recently played with the Miami Dolphins.
In 2007 Lehan started 14-of-15 games for the Dolphins and started two games for the Dolphins this season and served as a reserve in three others while also being inactive for one contest. Lehan suffered a hamstring injury in October and was placed on injured reserve on October 24 and was just recently waived from the injured reserve list in a procedural maneuver. Lehan, who played for the Cleveland Browns from 2003-2005, and Miami (2006-2008), is a veteran of 67 career regular season games (22 starts) and has recorded 104 career tackles, two interceptions, 12 passes defensed and one fumble recovery.
Notes: Wednesday's Injury Report for the Saints included DT Kendrick Clancy (hamstring), who did not participate in practice and LT Jammal Brown (ankle), who fully participated in practice.
For the Detroit Lions, the following players did not participate in practice today: QB Daunte Culpepper (right shoulder), DT Chuck Darby (calf), G Edwin Mulitalo (ankle) and DE Dewayne White (calf). RB Kevin White was limited in practice with an ankle injury.
