Running Back Alvin Kamara Requests to Sit Out the Remainder of the Season — And the Reason Behind His Decision Has the Entire Saints Community Bowing in Respect

New Orleans, Louisiana – December 11, 2025

In a season filled with injuries, setbacks, and constant personnel changes, no one expected the most powerful message in New Orleans to come from the heartbeat of the franchise itself: Alvin Kamara, the Saints’ offensive centerpiece for nearly a decade, has formally requested to sit out the remainder of the 2025 season. The reason stunned the league — not because it was a retreat, but because it was one of the rarest acts of selflessness in today’s NFL.

Kamara, once projected to thrive under Kellen Moore’s offensive system, has battled knee and ankle injuries since Week 12. But as rookie Devin Neal — a sixth-round pick and the former RB3 — erupted in Kamara’s absence, the 30-year-old star made a decision few veterans in his position would dare to make.

In a private conversation with team leadership, Kamara spoke with raw honesty:

“I’ve carried this decision inside me much longer than anyone realizes,” Kamara said. “If I keep stepping onto the field pretending everything is fine, I’ll only hold back something everyone else already sees — something I’ve been refusing to accept. I won’t let the Saints pay the price for my pride. It’s time for me to step back, not because I want to, but because it’s what’s right for this team… and for him.”

“Him” is Devin Neal — now one of the brightest surprises in a difficult Saints season. With 84 scrimmage yards and a touchdown against the Buccaneers, elite efficiency in the passing game (16 catches on 18 targets), and multiple critical blocks that extended plays for Tyler Shough, Neal has proven he is not just a temporary fill-in — he is the future.

Head coach Kellen Moore admitted the locker room was moved by Kamara’s decision:
“That’s something you can’t teach. That’s real leadership.”

In New Orleans — a city that values heart, loyalty, and community above all — Kamara’s choice was immediately recognized as one of the most honorable acts in franchise history.

Devin Neal will take over as the Saints’ RB1 for the remainder of the season.

And Kamara? He steps aside not as a fading veteran, but as a legend who chose sacrifice to protect the future of the team he loves.