The Saints designated Penning (toe) to return from injured reserve Thursday.
Penning's recovery from toe surgery seems to be right on track, as he was expected to return by November at the earliest after being placed on IR in early September. The 6-foot-7 offensive tackle was expected to quickly step into a big role this season as one of the Saints' two first-round selections in the 2022 NFL Draft. Penning will now have a 21-day window to practice before having to be activated to the 53-man roster, or else he'll revert to IR for the remainder of the season.