New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara is expected to be sidelined for at least the next month due to a sprained MCL, a source told ESPN's Adam Schefter.
Kamara was injured during Tuesday's joint practice with the Dallas Cowboys in Oxnard, Calif. He took a handoff and ended up in a pile of bodies, with his leg appearing to get caught under another player. Kamara limped off after the play and did not return.
Saints' cornerback Quincy Riley also sustained a groin injury during the same practice and Saints coach Kellen Moore expects him to be out at least a few weeks.
"They'll be OK. They've just got to get back healthy," Moore said.
Moore also said he expects running back Audric Estime will be out a few weeks. Estime (ankle) did not make the trip to California after he was injured in Saturday's preseason game against the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Saints are also without wide receiver Jordyn Tyson (hamstring) and defensive end Cameron Jordan (hamstring).
In March, the Saints signed former Jacksonville Jaguars running back Travis Etienne Jr. to a four-year deal worth more than $12 million per year in the first three years of the deal. Etienne has been given the majority of the first-team reps in training camp this summer and will be the starting running back with Kamara out. Behind him the Saints have a running back room of Estime, Devin Neal, Kendre Miller, Ty Chandler and CJ Donaldson.
Neal and Miller both returned to practice on Tuesday after being out with injuries for several weeks and Moore said they will likely be available for Saturday's preseason game against the Los Angeles Rams. Neither played in Saturday's game, but Chandler had an 86-yard kickoff return.
"This is going to be a hard group to sort out, they're all talented, they all can play on Sundays at a high level, Moore said. " ... For them naturally there will be potentially some more opportunities with these joint practices and these games, which will be great for them."
Kamara, 31, was selected by the Saints in the third round of the 2017 draft and was the 2017 Offensive Rookie of the Year. While he was under contract this season, a 10th season with the Saints was not made clear until late July, when he agreed to a reworked contract.
The revised deal will pay him a base salary of $6 million with $1 million available in incentives for combined rushing and receiving yards. There are also incentives available for his performance in the postseason if the Saints make the playoffs.
Kamara had been set to make up to $11.5 million in base salary this season, although the Saints renegotiated his contract for salary cap purposes in early March.
Kamara is coming off a season in which he had career lows in rushing yards (471), receiving yards (186) and total touchdowns (one). He finished the past two seasons with injuries.