Dec 25, 2020; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara (41) warms up before their game against the Minnesota Vikings at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports
Saints running back Alvin Kamara was photographed out in public without a mask before testing positive for COVID-19.
It’s bad enough that Alvin Kamara will miss the Saints regular-season finale against the Panthers on Sunday and perhaps a playoff game after testing positive for COVID-19. It may get worse for the New Orleans running back after photos emerged of him possibly breaking NFL protocol.
One picture dated Dec. 26 appears to show Kamara posing with three women indoors while not wearing a mask.
Another photo was posted on Facebook early in the week showing a maskless Kamara posing for another photo on a street. Assuming the photos are valid and dated correctly, Kamara could come under fire.
The NFL fined Kamara for wearing red and green cleats in a game just this past week. A fine for violating COVID-19 protocols could also be on the way if the NFL chooses to look into this issue.
Alvin Kamara may have acted irresponsibly before COVID-19 test
It’s impossible to say if Kamara contracted COVID-19 because of his maskless excursions, but it was undoubtedly not the smartest of moves on his part.
Having tested positive and being placed on the Reserve/COVID list, Kamara is expected to miss Sunday’s game against the Panthers, which could determine whether or not the Saints get the No. 1 seed.
Even more concerning, Kamara could miss New Orleans’ first-round playoff game depending on scheduling.
While the Saints shouldn’t be too worried about the regular-season finale, the playoffs are a much bigger concern. Having one of the league’s best running backs will be a key for the team regardless of their opposition.
It will be interesting to see what the Saints decide to do with Kamara on the discipline side of things. The Washington Football Team fined quarterback Dwayne Haskins and ultimately cut him when he was photographed at a strip club while defying COVID-19 protocols. Kamara is not in such a tenuous position with his team, but could face criticism.