The injuries keep piling up for the New Orleans Saints.
Running back Alvin Kamara is expected to be sideline for at least the next month due to a sprained MCL, Adam Schefter reports. The injury occurred during Tuesday’s joint practice with the Dallas Cowboys.
Kamara took a handoff and ended up in a pile of bodies, with his leg appearing to get caught under another player. Kamara limped off after the play and did not return.
In March, the Saints signed former Jacksonville Jaguars running back Travis Etienne Jr. to a four-year deal worth more than $12 million per year in the first three years of the deal. Etienne has been given the majority of the first-team reps in training camp this summer and will be the starting running back with Kamara out. Behind him the Saints have a running back room of Audric Estime, Devin Neal, Kendre Miller, Ty Chandler and CJ Donaldson.
Kamara, 31, was selected by the Saints in the third round of the 2017 draft and was the 2017 Offensive Rookie of the Year. While he was under contract this season, a 10th season with the Saints was not made clear until late July, when he agreed to a reworked contract.
The revised deal will pay him a base salary of $6 million with $1 million available in incentives for combined rushing and receiving yards. There are also incentives available for his performance in the postseason if the Saints make the playoffs.
Kamara had been set to make up to $11.5 million in base salary this season, although the Saints renegotiated his contract for salary cap purposes in early March.
Kamara is coming off a season in which he had career lows in rushing yards (471), receiving yards (186) and total touchdowns (one). He finished the past two seasons with injuries.
