Saints RB Alvin Kamara Could Miss Regular-Season Time

Running back Alvin Kamara sprained his MCL during a joint practice with the Cowboys and will likely miss at least the next month, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports. The injury figures to shelve Kamara for the Saints’ Sept. 13 season opener against the Lions, if not longer.

Now in his 10th season, the 31-year-old Kamara agreed to a pay cut earlier this summer. The move enabled Kamara to stick with the only NFL franchise he has known since he came into the league as a third-round selection in 2017. The pick quickly became a steal for general manager Mickey Loomis, who has seen Kamara turn into the Saints’ all-time leader in rushing attempts (1,674), yards (7,250) and touchdowns (61). The dual threat is also second in franchise history in catches (606) and fifth in receiving yards (6,569).

With 87 total TDs, no Saint has found the end zone more than Kamara. But knee injuries have been a frequent problem for Kamara, who missed time in 2019, 2021 and 2025 with sprains. A hobbled Kamara played a career-low 11 games last year and put up personal-worst numbers across the board. He ran for 471 yards on just 3.6 yards per attempt, averaged a mere 5.6 yards per catch on 33 receptions, and only scored once. Despite Kamara’s struggles, he drew interest leading up to the Nov. 3 trade deadline. However, after Kamara made it clear he had no interest in a change of scenery, he stayed put.

With Kamara then coming off a rough season and not a lock to stay with the Saints in 2026, Loomis made a major backfield investment when free agency opened in March. Former Jaguar Travis Etienne, who inked a four-year, $48MM deal with $24MM guaranteed, is now the Saints’ No. 1 running back. Etienne will aim for his fourth 1,000-yard season this year.

There is still room for Kamara to continue as a key weapon in New Orleans, where he shared touches with Mark Ingram and then Latavius Murray earlier in his career, but it does not appear he will factor in at the start of this season. If that proves to be the case, it could lead to more work for any of Audric Estime, Kendre Miller or Devin Neal.