Saints' Alvin Kamara sits out opener, targeting debut next week
Kamara will not play at Detroit, but he came through his rehab faster than expected and is lined up to make his season debut against Baltimore
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Alvin Kamara will not play in the Saints' opener at Detroit, and the plan is for the veteran running back to make his debut next week instead.
Nick Underhill (@nick_underhill): Alvin Kamara is not expected to play today and will make his debut next week against Baltimore, per sources. He progressed through his rehab faster than expected, and with the game plan set, they decided to wait until next week.
Nick Underhill reported that Kamara came through his rehabilitation faster than expected, but with the game plan for the Lions already set, New Orleans chose to hold him one more week rather than push him into a road opener. Kamara had been listed as questionable on Friday after returning to practice, with head coach Kellen Moore calling his status a game-time decision.
The injury dates to mid-August, when Kamara sprained his MCL and the early expectation was roughly a month on the sideline. Getting him back on the practice field this week put him ahead of that schedule, which is why the Saints can now point to a specific return instead of an open-ended timeline.
With Kamara out, New Orleans goes to Detroit with a reshaped backfield. Travis Etienne is set for his Saints debut after arriving in free agency, and the team elevated rookie CJ Donaldson from the practice squad for the game — another sign the offense will spread the work while it waits for Kamara, who is now in line to be back for Baltimore.