New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara has been ruled out for Sundayâs Week 15 matchup against the Carolina Panthers, per head coach Kellen Moore on December 12.
Kamara has been sidelined with a knee/ankle issue and did not practice during the week leading into the Panthers game, making the Saintsâ âfinalâ status update pretty straightforward heading into the weekend.
Saints Rule Out Alvin Kamara vs. Panthers
Mooreâs Friday update takes the uncertainty out of the Saintsâ Week 15 backfield plan: Kamara wonât play when Carolina visits New Orleans on Sunday, December 14, 2025 4:25 p.m. ET.
On the practice report side, Kamaraâs absence all week had already pushed things in this direction. The Saints listed him as DNP (did not practice) on Wednesday and Thursday with the knee/ankle designation.
New Orleans also ruled out offensive tackle Asim Richards for the game, while safety Justin Reid was listed as questionable after returning to practice on a limited basis late in the week.
What It Means for the Saintsâ Offense
With Kamara out again, the Saints are expected to lean on Devin Neal as the primary running back option versus Carolina. Neal has been the next-man-up in the backfield while Kamara has been out, and the teamâs weekly practice/injury reporting has pointed in that direction heading into Sunday.
Neal produced in New Orleansâ upset over Tampa Bay last week. The rookie running back had 19 carries for 70 yards and a touchdown, while also adding one catch for 14 yards. Â
For New Orleans, the bigger-picture question is how the offense adjusts without its most established backfield playmaker, especially in the screen game and on high-leverage snaps where Kamara has typically been a big part of the plan.
If the Saints are trying to keep the game manageable, expect their approach to include:
- a steadier early-down workload for Neal
- more situational creativity (tempo, formations, and personnel packages) to manufacture touches
- a heavier emphasis on staying ahead of the chains, since Kamaraâs usual âbailoutâ plays wonât be available
Injury Context and the Week 15 Setup
Kamaraâs injury dates back to when he left the Saintsâ Week 12 game against the Atlanta Falcons after hurting his knee.Â
This week, the Saints listed Kamara with a knee/ankle issue and kept him out of practice as they prepared for the Panthers. That trendâplus Mooreâs Friday rulingâlocks in New Orleansâ plan at running back for Week 15.
New Orleans enters Week 15 coming off a 24-20 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but the bigger picture is still grim: the Saints are 3-10 and eliminated from playoff contention while averaging 15.8 points per game (30th in the NFL), and allowing 24.2 points per game. Carolina, meanwhile, is 7-6 and in the NFC South race, scoring 19.0 points per game and allowing 22.8. The matchup leans into a classic strength-vs.-weakness angle: the Saints defense has been solid statistically (12th, 313.5 yards allowed per game) against a Panthers offense thatâs ranked in the bottom third (about 311 yards and 19 points per game). In the teamsâ earlier meeting this season, New Orleans controlled the game defensivelyâholding Carolina under 200 total yards and forcing two turnovers during a 17-7 win for the Saints.Â
Quick facts:
- Game: Panthers at Saints (Week 15)
- Date: Sunday, Dec. 14, 2025
- Kamara status: Out
- Practice trend: DNP midweek (knee/ankle).
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