Bad news hit the New Orleans Saints on Friday. Per a report from Katherine Terrell of ESPN, Saints starting tight end Ben Watson will miss the NFC championship game because of a sudden bout with appendicitis.

Watson sat out the first two practices of the week with an illness designation, and the Saints apparently decided that it would be too dangerous to allow him to suit up against the Los Angeles Rams. At this point it appears Watson will avoid surgery and should make a full recovery.

The Saints will lean on their second tight end, Josh Hill, who actually had more snaps than Watson in the regular season, with 653 plays against Watson’s 507. But Watson was by far their preferred option in the passing game, placing third on the team with 46 targets (Hill had just 24). Rookie Dan Arnold should see some targets, while practice squad call-up Garrett Griffin also steps into the lineup.

Josh Hill broke out in the 2017 postseason, catching six of 10 passes thrown his way for 103 yards and a touchdown. The Saints have to be hoping that he will find a way to duplicate that success.