Kellen Moore said earlier this week that he was optimistic several injured players would return to practice ahead of Sunday’s season opener against the Arizona Cardinals.

And when the New Orleans Saints took the field Wednesday, the coach got his wish.

Cornerback Alontae Taylor returned to practice for the first time since injuring his groin Aug. 8 while the Saints were in Irvine, California for training camp. Along with Taylor, safety Julian Blackmon (undisclosed) and defensive tackle Khristian Boyd (hand) also appeared to participate in the session after missing part of last week.

One notable absence for the Saints, however, was still guard Trevor Penning. The fourth-year offensive lineman has been out since Aug. 10 with a turf toe injury, an ailment that carried a recovery timeline

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