Alvin Kamara avoids a major knee injury, but New Orleans Saints expect him to miss the season’s start

New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara is expected to miss the opening portion of the season after sustaining a sprained MCL, a condition described as not a “major knee injury” by ESPN, per Yahoo Sports. The report indicates the injury is projected to sideline him for roughly a month, which would place early-season availability in question for one of the team’s most established offensive weapons.

Kamara’s absence matters beyond the box score because he has been a central part of New Orleans’ offense for years, both in the running game and as a pass-catching option out of the backfield. When a veteran with his role is limited, teams often have to adjust the distribution of carries and targets, especially early in the year when depth-chart clarity is still developing.

The timing of the injury arrives after Kamara and the Saints resolved his contract situation this offseason, allowing him to remain in “Big Easy” for what would be his 10th professional season. The Yahoo Sports report also frames Kamara’s return as a notable continuity point, emphasizing that it would be his only NFL team to date. With that contract resolution behind them, the injury becomes the new focal point for New Orleans’ offseason-to-regular-season transition.

The Saints will now have to plan around an estimated month-long recovery window. While the report characterizes the situation as less severe than a major knee injury, an MCL sprain can still affect lateral movement, acceleration, and change-of-direction work, all of which are important for a back who operates in space and has to create yards after contact. How New Orleans manages his workload and returns him to full practice participation will be the key practical question in the coming weeks.

For Kamara, the priority will be avoiding a rushed return that could turn a manageable sprain into something more limiting. For the Saints, the priority will be maintaining offensive rhythm even if his first-team reps are reduced. That likely means more opportunities for other backs and potentially different ways of structuring the run-pass balance, depending on who is most ready to handle the backfield workload early on.

With training camp moving into the preseason and then the regular season, the next test will be whether Kamara can progress on schedule and return to full participation without setbacks. If he misses the early slate as projected, New Orleans will be watching not just his return date, but also whether his first games after activation look like a complete return to form or a gradual ramp-up.