The New Orleans Saints adjusted their weekly routine on Tuesday, holding a walkthrough practice ahead of the holiday break. With Christmas falling midweek, the team opted to shift things around, giving players and staff Thursday off. But even in a lighter session, there were some notable absences-particularly on the injury front.
Five players were missing from the walkthrough: running back Alvin Kamara (knee/ankle), guard Cesar Ruiz (ankle), defensive lineman Bryan Bresee (knee), and tight ends Foster Moreau (ankle) and Zaire Mitchell-Paden. While walkthroughs are non-contact and typically low intensity, missing time-even in a limited format-can be telling this late in the season.
Head coach Kellen Moore has already acknowledged that both Moreau and Bresee are expected to miss at least one game due to their injuries. That’s a blow to both sides of the ball. Bresee has been carving out a bigger role on the defensive line as the season’s gone on, while Moreau’s versatility at tight end has helped stabilize the offense, especially in two-tight end sets.
Kamara’s status continues to be a major storyline. He hasn’t practiced since going down with a knee injury in Week 12 against the Falcons.
The Saints have opted not to place him on injured reserve-a sign they believe there’s still a chance he could return before the season ends. But with each passing week, the wait-and-see approach feels more like a week-to-week gamble.
Complicating matters further, rookie running back Devin Neal has been ruled out for the rest of the season with a hamstring injury. That’s left the Saints digging deeper into their depth chart.
Last week, it was Audric Estime and Evan Hull who carried most of the load in the backfield, with Taysom Hill also getting a few snaps behind center. It’s been a committee approach, and while there’s been effort and flashes, the absence of Kamara’s explosiveness is hard to miss.
Because the Saints moved practice up a day, they weren’t required to release an official injury report. That will come on Wednesday, and it should give a clearer picture of where things stand heading into the weekend.
For a team still fighting to stay in the playoff mix, every rep, every player, and every decision matters. The Saints are walking a fine line between resting key contributors and trying to keep their postseason hopes alive. We’ll know more soon-but for now, the injury list is one to watch closely.