Alvin Kamara Injury Update
Alvin Kamara is dealing with a sprained MCL in his knee after getting hurt in the Week 12 loss to the Falcons, and the injury has changed the outlook for him and for the Saints this season. He twisted his knee on a catch near the sideline when he went down under a tackle, grabbed his leg right away, then tried to test it on the sideline but never made it back into the game and was ruled out in the second half.
Tests later showed a sprain rather than a major tear, which is good news for his long term health, but it still means he is expected to miss time, with most reports pointing to something in the range of two to four weeks on the short end and up to around six weeks if it heals more slowly.
That timeline lines up with normal recoveries for an MCL sprain where a player has to regain stability plus confidence in cutting and changing direction, and for a running back like Kamara that part is critical because his game relies on quick cuts and balance in traffic. Reporters and team focused outlets say the injury is not considered season ending, but with the Saints sitting on a very poor record and almost out of the playoff picture there is a real chance the team takes a cautious approach rather than rushing him back for meaningless games at the end of the year.
Before the injury he had 471 rushing yards with one rushing touchdown plus 186 receiving yards on 33 catches and he remained a big part of the offense even though his explosiveness and efficiency had slipped compared to his peak seasons. He had also been playing through an ankle issue for about a month, so this knee problem comes on top of existing wear and tear and adds to concern about how much punishment his body can still handle as he hits age 30 at a high usage position.
With Kamara out the Saints are expected to lean more on rookie back Devin Neal along with creative usage of Taysom Hill in the run game to cover snaps, though early returns show the rushing attack loses a lot of juice without Kamara on the field and defenses can focus more on other parts of the offense.
Fantasy analysts are already warning that this might be the end of Kamara as a reliable option for the rest of the 2025 season since even a best case timeline pushes any realistic return into the fantasy playoffs when coaches may decide his risk of reinjury is not worth it on a losing team.
There is also bigger picture talk that this knee injury could mark the beginning of the end for his time in New Orleans even though his contract runs beyond this year because his age, accumulated hits, recent decline in production and now this sprain all point toward the front office reassessing his future role or even his roster spot over the next one or two seasons.
For now the key facts are simple that Kamara avoided a worst case scenario such as a torn ACL, he is expected to miss several weeks with a sprained MCL, he is unlikely to help much the rest of this season in fantasy terms, and both his short term availability and long term future with the Saints are cloudy as everyone waits to see how well and how quickly his knee responds to rehab.
Disclaimer:
This update is based on the latest reports and official statements regarding Alvin Kamara’s injury. All information is subject to change as further details on his recovery and availability are released. Please check for official updates from the New Orleans Saints and relevant medical sources.
