New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara left Sunday’s 24-10 loss to the Atlanta Falcons with a right knee injury, was ruled out for the second half and is now scheduled for an MRI, according to multiple reports.
Kamara went down in the first half after a short reception along the left sideline. He was twisted to the turf by former Saints linebacker Kaden Elliss, and replays showed his knee bending awkwardly as he immediately grabbed at it.
The 30-year-old briefly visited the blue medical tent, tested the leg on the sideline and even got his helmet back before heading to the locker room. He was first listed as questionable, then officially ruled out at halftime.
Before exiting, Kamara was limited to 3 carries for 11 yards and 2 catches for 4 yards, one of his quietest lines of the season.
The loss dropped the Saints to 2-9 in Kellen Moore’s first season, their worst start since 1999.
Alvin Kamara Scheduled for MRI on Knee After Falcons Game
Postgame, multiple fantasy and NFL news outlets relayed that Kamara will undergo an MRI on the injured knee.
Those reports emphasized that the team is still gathering information and that there’s no official diagnosis or timetable yet, but as Rapoport noted, it’s believed to be a knee sprain. An MRI is standard when there’s concern about potential ligament damage or structural issues in the knee, but the results had not been made public as of Sunday night.
Kamara already came into Week 12 banged up. He’d been managing an ankle injury for weeks, was limited in practice and listed as questionable before being cleared to play against Atlanta.
Now the Saints are dealing with a new knee issue on top of the existing ankle concern, a scary combination for a 30-year-old running back who has been the face of the offense for nearly a decade.
National insiders, including NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, amplified the MRI news on social media, underscoring how closely the league will be watching Kamara’s status over the next 24-48 hours.
What Kamara’s Injury Means for the Saints’ Offense
The immediate fallout was obvious on Sunday. With Kamara out, rookie Devin Neal became the lead back, finishing with 7 carries for 18 yards and 5 catches for 43 yards as New Orleans failed to score an offensive touchdown.
Taysom Hill was also thrown into even more roles than usual. Hill told reporters he ended up doing “a lot of things” he’d had zero time on task for during the week, meeting with the running backs coach on the fly to help cover for Kamara’s absence.
Quarterback Tyler Shough called Kamara “a huge part” of what the Saints do in both the run and pass game and noted that losing him early forced others to step up. Shough praised Neal for “laying the boom” and Hill as a “Swiss Army knife” who was thrown into tough situations after Kamara went down.
Big picture, this could be a brutal blow for an offense that was already struggling. The Saints are averaging under 16 points per game and rank near the bottom of the league in scoring.
Kamara had been one of the few consistent sources of yardage, posting 460 rushing yards and 182 receiving yards through 10 games this season. He’s produced at least 1,160 scrimmage yards in each of his first eight NFL seasons; that streak would be in real jeopardy if he’s forced to miss significant time.
If Kamara is sidelined for Week 13 at the Miami Dolphins, Neal would likely handle lead-back duties again, with Hill and the passing game asked to carry even more of the load.
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