Jairus Byrd makes an impact in his first contact practice with Saints on Tuesday
 

Midway through Tuesday’s practice, Mark Ingram took a handoff and attempted to take the ball through a hole. As he hit it, a member of the Saints defense hit him back.

On most days, this play wouldn’t even be recognized or talked about. But on most days Jairus Byrd, the prize of New Orleans’ free-agent class, isn’t the one delivering the hit.

“I definitely felt good to finally get that contact out the way, get back in the swing of things, adjust to this heat out here,” Byrd said. “It’s new.”

It is new. The hit on Ingram might have been the first time Byrd engaged in contact since being signed by the Saints this offseason. Byrd underwent back surgery in May and started training camp on the physically unable to perform list. He’s taken part in the non-contact portion of practice the past few weeks, but was not cleared for contact until Tuesday.

Jairus Byrd makes an impact in his first contact practice with Saints on Tuesday | Saints | The Advocate — Baton Rouge, Louisiana