Saints deal another injury blow as Alvin Kamara reportedly expected to miss at least a month

The New Orleans Saints are reportedly facing another early training-camp hurdle, this time to their running game. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported Wednesday that five-time Pro Bowl running back Alvin Kamara is expected to be sidelined for at least the next month after suffering a sprained MCL. The report adds pressure to an offense that has already taken hits during camp preparation.

Kamara’s situation matters to the Saints for both depth and game planning. As a centerpiece of New Orleans’ backfield in recent years, his absence changes the distribution of carries and touches, especially during the weeks when coaches evaluate playmakers, timing, and protection schemes. With the regular season approaching, an injury that keeps a veteran out for a month typically forces staff to test alternative roles and rotations.

The Kamara update comes just days after New Orleans learned that rookie wide receiver Jordyn Tyson is expected to miss about two months with a right hamstring injury he suffered last week during training camp. Together, the two timelines point to a stretch in which the Saints may need to develop backup options in multiple parts of the offense while also trying to keep reps from piling up on fewer healthy players.

The team’s context is notable. Yahoo Sports reported that the Saints brought Kamara back this offseason for what is his 10th year in the NFL, a report that New Orleans still viewed him as a meaningful piece of its plans. When a key veteran is later sidelined for at least a month, it can affect not only weekly workloads but also how quickly new or less established players gain trust in live-game situations.

For the coaching staff, the immediate challenge will be balancing preparation with adaptation. Without Kamara, the Saints will likely lean more heavily on other backs for early-down work and short-yardage opportunities, while also re-examining how the play-action and screen game are structured. Even if the team ultimately expects Kamara to return within that month window, the practice reps lost during his absence can carry over into later evaluation periods.

The uncertainty also extends to how quickly Tyson can ramp back up once his hamstring heals, especially because wide receiver development is often tied to consistent timing with the quarterback. While Tyson is reported to be out about two months, the Saints still must manage chemistry and assignments across the rest of the receiving group during that same span, which can complicate offseason-long progress.

What to watch next is whether New Orleans receives any additional medical updates that confirm or refine the timeline for Kamara’s MCL sprain, and how the Saints respond operationally in practice and exhibition-style situations. A month-long absence typically becomes a forcing function for depth chart decisions, and early training-camp injuries often have ripple effects on roles, targets, and snaps even after players return.