What a Alvin Kamara suspension might look like?

The New Orleans Saints have missed the postseason each of the last two seasons, and that drought would be in jeopardy of continuing if starting running back Alvin Kamara was suspended by the NFL. We’ll take a closer look at what has Kamara in some hot water, and how many games he might miss if the league decides to reprimand him.

As most football fans know, Kamara is one of the best players in the NFL. He’s been named to five Pro Bowls. Kamara was in Las Vegas for the 2022 edition of the league’s All Star game, but the trouble for him began once the game ended.

Kamara was accused of battery resulting in substantial bodily harm, as he was reportedly involved in an attack that severely injured a man. The man’s orbital bone was said to be fractured. The incident took place at a Las Vegas nightclub. This particular charge is serious in the state of Nevada, as it’s punishable up to five years in prison.

As we live in a social media world, there was always a chance that the altercation was going to be caught on video. Reports indicated that footage of the episode was available, and that the venue was going to cooperate with authorities and the NFL on this matter. The man who was severely injured supposedly tried to get on an elevator after Kamara’s group, but they forcefully denied him entry.

Although the incident took place in 2022, the indictment of Kamara and three other men said to be involved in the attack came down nearly a year later. This matter is still making its way through the legal process.

Since Roger Goodell became commissioner of the NFL, he has taken ardent strides to ensure that the sport cares about the conduct of its players off the field. He has met with players and representatives individually to learn more about precarious situations, and has levied suspensions in a few scenarios.

Goodell took over as commissioner in 2006, and has had some pretty high profile issues to deal with over the better part of a decade and a half. One such situation involved star quarterback Michael Vick, who was involved in a dog-fighting ring. He ended up missing the entirety of the 2007 and 2008 seasons as a result.

A couple of years after the Vick incident, wide receiver Donte Stallworth pleaded guilty to DUI manslaughter, which ended up claiming the life of a pedestrian. The NFL decided to suspend Stallworth for the full 2009 season. He would only play in 20 more games after the lengthy suspension was handed out.

This was probably the incident that got the most attention from sports fans and the general public. Footage of Ray Rice was circulated punching his significant other, which led to a lot of discussion about how the NFL should handle the matter. The league wanted to suspend him indefinitely, but upon appeal, Rice only ended up missing two games.

Ezekiel Elliott would end up serving a six-game suspension during the 2017 season for domestic abuse. Although Elliott was not formally charged, the league has the right to suspend players if they violate its personal conduct policy. This goes back to the NFL’s wishes to clean up the image of its players.

Previous transgressions serve as the backdrop for what might await Kamara in the next few months. It seems unlikely that the league will levy a lengthy penalty, but fans might be able to reasonably expect a 2-4 game absence as this story continues to evolve in the judicial system.