Things were already bleak for the 2-9 New Orleans Saints, but Sunday’s loss just made the mountain steeper. First-year head coach Kellen Moore has watched his team take hit after hit in 2025, yet the latest blow might be the hardest to absorb. The offense isn’t just losing a running back; they are losing a veteran leader for the foreseeable future.
With luck seemingly abandoning the franchise, they now have to navigate the coming weeks without their primary playmaker.
How Long Will the Saints Be Without Alvin Kamara?
Kamara entered the Week 11 bye nursing an ankle issue that had lingered for weeks. While the time off initially seemed to help, Sunday’s loss to the Atlanta Falcons brought a new setback: an MCL strain in his knee. The timing couldn’t be worse for a team desperately looking for a spark.
According to New Orleans Football’s Nick Underhill, the injury isn’t season-ending, but it will keep Kamara on the shelf for a while. At the very least, he will miss this week’s matchup against the Miami Dolphins.
This injury adds another layer of frustration to Kamara’s ninth season in New Orleans. He is under contract through the 2026 campaign, but he will turn 31 before next year’s training camp begins. Given his age and health, predicting his long-term future with the team is becoming increasingly challenging.
Regardless of what happens down the road, the immediate reality is harsh. Kamara has handled a heavy workload despite a downward trend in production, which may be the result of career-long wear and tear. Through 11 games, he has managed just 657 scrimmage yards and one touchdown. The offense has sputtered along with him, especially after the quarterback switch from Spencer Rattler to Tyler Shough failed to ignite the unit.
Who Can Step Up in the Backfield Now?
The running back room was already thin before Kamara went down. Kendre Miller, a 2023 third-round pick, tore his ACL in October just as he started showing the promise that got him drafted. He landed on season-ending injured reserve, leaving a massive void in the rotation that New Orleans hasn’t been able to fill.
With Miller out and Kamara sidelined indefinitely, Moore needs to get creative to find rushing yards. Taysom Hill took the bulk of the work after Kamara left Sunday’s game, but the results were ugly. The Swiss Army knife rushed 10 times for just 17 yards, unable to find much room to operate.
The Saints are now looking toward sixth-round rookie Devin Neal to provide a boost. The team hopes he can blossom into a full-time option, but he is still finding his footing. Neal saw action against Atlanta, rushing seven times for 18 yards while adding five catches for 43 yards in the passing game.
These struggles are evident in the advanced metrics. New Orleans currently holds a PFSN Offense Impact score of 63.1, ranking 29th in the league. Only the Las Vegas Raiders, Tennessee Titans, and Cleveland Browns have performed worse than the Saints. Kamara hasn’t fared much better individually, posting a 73.4 PFSN RB Impact score. That sits below the Raiders’ Ashton Jeanty and just ahead of Omarion Hampton, who hasn’t played since Week 5.
