Alvin Kamara injury: Saints RB exits game vs. Falcons with head injury

ATLANTA, GA - DECEMBER 07: Alvin Kamara #41 of the New Orleans Saints warms up prior to facing the Atlanta Falcons at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on December 7, 2017 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
ATLANTA, GA - DECEMBER 07: Alvin Kamara #41 of the New Orleans Saints warms up prior to facing the Atlanta Falcons at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on December 7, 2017 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) /
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New Orleans Saints rookie star running back Alvin Kamara exits Thursday Night Football versus the Atlanta Falcons with an obvious head injury.

Early in the first quarter during Thursday Night Football in Week 14 between NFC South rivals in the New Orleans Saints and the Atlanta Falcons, Saints star rookie running back Alvin Kamara sustained a hit by Falcons linebacker Deion Jones on a screen and had to exit the ball game with a head injury.

New Orleans was humming on that first drive against the archrival Falcons, but the four-yard loss and Kamara having to leave the ballgame forced the Saints to kick a field goal. Kamara would go in the medical tent on the sideline at Mercedes-Benz Stadium to be evaluated for a concussion. He would then walk into the bowels of Mercedes-Benz Stadium for further evaluation in the visitor’s locker room.

This is the first meeting between these two bitter NFC South rivals of the season. They will meet in New Orleans in two weeks for a Sunday game at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in Week 16. New Orleans leads Atlanta by two games in the NFC South race with four remaining. The Saints have been dynamic offensively thanks in large part to a great first year out of Kamara.

UPDATE: Kamara has been ruled out the rest of the game with a concussion.

This is a tough blow not just for the Saints, but Kamara personally. He is a native of suburban Atlanta and played his college football in the SEC for at first the Alabama Crimson Tide before starring for the Tennessee Volunteers.

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The Saints still have a former Heisman Trophy winner at running back in Mark Ingram Jr. Drew Brees isn’t too shabby at quarterback for them either. However, potentially losing Kamara for the game is not the start to a rivalry game that the Saints would have hoped for. Hopefully, Kamara can come back out there for the Saints sooner rather than later.