Saints RB Alvin Kamara suspended 3 games for role in alleged 2022 Vegas fight
New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara has been suspended for three games for allegedly fighting a man at a Las Vegas nightclub during Pro Bowl weekend.
The league also suspended Indianapolis Colts cornerback Chris Lammons for three games for the same incident. Both will be eligible to practice and participate in preseason games and will be eligible to return following the conclusion of Week 3.
Kamara, 27, had previously met with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell in New York City on Wednesday morning.
After Friday's practice, Kamara apologized and said he "was completely wrong" for his actions.
"I never want to be involved in something where someone gets hurt or severely injured or anything," he said. "Poor judgment on my end, definitely a bad decision, but I'm a man. Everything I've ever done in my life, I've stood on. And I can take accountability for it and I can say when I'm wrong and I was completely wrong.
"I embarrassed the Saints, I embarrassed my family and my mother," he added. "I embarrassed myself, embarrassed the city, and the shield, obviously, embarrassed the NFL.”
A Clark County grand jury indicted Kamara, Lammons and two others on Feb. 16, 2022, on charges of conspiracy to commit battery and battery resulting in substantial bodily harm. The four were arrested on Feb. 6, hours after the Pro Bowl game ended. Police say Kamara, Lammons (then with the Kansas City Chiefs), Darrin Young and Percy Harris (who was identified in court as Kamara's manager) allegedly beat Darnell Greene Jr. unconscious the night before, on Feb. 5, after Greene tried to enter an elevator at the nightclub. The four allegedly chased Greene after the initial attack as well.
Greene later sued Kamara for $10 million and claimed he sustained an orbital fracture as well as injuries to his neck, back, shoulder, knees and face.
All four defendants pleaded not guilty on March 2, 2023, and Kamara eventually pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor charge of breach of peace on July 11. He was sentenced to 30 hours of community service and ordered to pay a $100,000 fine to the victim for medical bills.
Fantasy impact
Analyst Scott Pianowski already had Kamara on his list of players to fade and he was the No. 28 running back in Yahoo Sports' half PPR rankings. The suspension should continue to drop Kamara's ADP, which was 65.9 in Yahoo drafts at the time the punishment news broke, but has been trending down over the past week (69.8).
But now that we know how long Kamara will be out, we know how long Jamaal Williams will benefit from Kamara's absence in the first three games of the season. Williams could see a sizable workload to start the season with matchups against the Tennessee Titans, Carolina Panthers and Green Bay Packers. Williams rushed a career-high 262 times in 2022 for the Detroit Lions and led the NFL with 17 rushing touchdowns. He also rushed for 1,066 yards. Williams' ADP is 101.3 and he's currently the consensus fantasy running back 38.
The matchups aren't great — the Titans had the best run defense in the NFL this past season and the Panthers ranked middle of the pack. The Packers allowed 139.5 rushing yards per game in 2022, though.
Another player to watch out for is third-round rookie Kendre Miller. He has a similar build as Kamara and could see extended looks in a two-person backfield between himself and Williams.