Saints' Alvin Kamara excused from practice to meet with NFL commissioner Goodell

Updated Aug. 2, 2023 2:10 p.m. ET

Associated Press

METAIRIE, La. (AP) — New Orleans Saints star running back Alvin Kamara was excused from practice on Wednesday so he could meet with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell in New York to discuss a recently settled criminal case stemming from a February 2022 fight in Las Vegas.

“It shows initiative on Alvin's part to want to get out ahead of this and get his side of the story out in terms of visiting with the commissioner,” Saints coach Dennis Allen said after practice. "We felt like, and he felt like, it was the right thing to do.

“I don't want to really get into all the details,” Allen continued. “We'll let the process play and then we'll react to whatever decisions are made.”

Allen and general manager Mickey Loomis have said the Saints have yet to receive an indication of if, or when, the NFL could decide on whether to discipline Kamara, who has been among New Orleans’ leaders in yards from scrimmage since 2017, when he was selected as the NFL’s Offensive Rookie of the Year.

The NFL on Wednesday declined comment on Kamara’s meeting with Goodell or any timeline for potential discipline.

Kamara played throughout the 2022 season while the NFL waited for a resolution to his court case, which also involved cornerback Chris Lammons.

The two players were accused, along with two other defendants, of beating Darnell Greene Jr., of Houston, unconscious following an altercation that spilled out of an elevator and into a hallway.

Kamara and Lammons pleaded no contest on July 11 to misdemeanors and agreed to each pay just more than $100,000 toward Greene’s medical costs. The deal allowed the players to avoid trial and possible prison time after initially being charged with felonies. The plea agreements came in conjunction with a settlement of a civil case Greene filed. Financial terms of that deal remain undisclosed.

Under the NFL’s player conduct policy, the league office may issue suspensions for conduct that is “illegal, violent, dangerous, or irresponsible puts innocent victims at risk, damages the reputation of others in the game, and undercuts public respect and support for the NFL.”

A conviction is not required for the NFL to suspend a player. The league reserves the right to take an independent view of available evidence, which in Kamara’s case, includes security video of the fight.

In 15 games last season, Kamara gained 1,387 yards from scrimmage — 897 rushing and 490 receiving. He scored two TDs rushing and caught two scoring passes.

For his career, Kamara has 8,888 yards from scrimmage (5,135 rushing, 3,753 receiving) and has scored 71 TDs (49 rushing, 22 receiving).

Kamara has not done any interviews since training camp began last week, but had participated in every practice of camp until his trip to NFL headquarters in New York.

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