Reuters

The Saints will not have Pierre Thomas on Saturday night in Philadelphia.

Thomas, who suffered a chest injury in the regular season finale against the Buccaneers on Sunday, has been declared out for the playoff game against the Eagles.

That had been expected after Thomas missed practice this week, but it’s still tough news for New Orleans. Thomas was the Saints’ leading rusher with 549 yards during the regular season, and he was second on the team with 77 catches. He’s a big part of the offense.

With Thomas out, the Saints will rely more on running backs Mark Ingram, Darren Sproles and Khiry Robinson.

Other than Thomas, the Saints are fairly healthy. The only other players listed on their injury report are linebacker Keyunta Dawson (questionable with a calf injury) and safety Rafael Bush (probable with an ankle injury).