Devin Neal resurfaces with Vikings

The Saints placed Neal on injured reserve with a hamstring injury over the weekend, but did not designate him as a candidate to return. He received an injury settlement, and could potentially return to the Saints if he passes through waivers unclaimed.

Neal has hit I.R. without a return designation, so his sophomore season is over. Of course, he could later be released with an injury settlement. The 2025 sixth-rounder managed 74 touches for the Saints’ undermanned 2025 running back group, though he was not impressive in the process. He is still only 23 years old, so he could land on someone else’s practice squad if/when the Saints cut him loose.

The Saints’ backup running back statuses continue to change. Veteran No. 2 RB Alvin Kamara (knee) is expected to be sidelined for at least one month, and RB Audric Estime is now sidelined with an undisclosed injury. Miller and RB Devin Neal (hamstring) both returned this week, though. Beat reporter Jeff Nowak notes that Miller, Neal and RB Ty Chandler were all allowed to rotate in for first-team reps today, as coach Kellen Moore presumably seeks out a viable primary backup for starting RB Travis Etienne. Per Nowak, Miller “looks sharp despite the time missed.” This is worth tracking for short-term bench stash purposes.

As of Thursday, Neal was taking advantage of RB Kendre Miller’s back injury by playing well at practice. Miller is still sidelined, but now Neal is too. The two backs, along with RBs Audric Estime, Ty Chandler and CJ Donaldson, are all competing for the RB3 job. The fact that Neal is working with the training staff out in the open is a good sign, but this is worth keeping an eye on because a hamstring injury ended his rookie season prematurely.

The good news is that Miller was not listed with a knee injury after suffering a season-ending ACL tear in Week 7 last year. The bad news is that he evidently has a new injury, and the Saints have a fairly deep running back room right now. RBs Devin Neal, Audric Estime, Ty Chandler and CJ Donaldson are all vying for roster spots. Per Underhill, Neal is taking advantage of the extra reps. He could have the inside track to the RB3 role right now.

If the Saints cut bait on Alvin Kamara, Neal would probably be in the battle for the RB2 spot as things currently stand on the roster. This seems minor enough that we probably wouldn’t be concerned about it, but Neal was dinged up towards the end of last year and it’s worth keeping an eye on.

Triplett and his colleague, Nick Underhill, joked about how RB Kendre Miller (knee) will likely once again dazzle at organized team activities, before things fizzle for him. It’s a brutal take on the 23-year-old Miller, who has dealt with ankle, hamstring and knee injuries, plus one concussion, in his short career. Miller is currently rehabbing a torn ACL suffered in October 2025, but it sounds like he is expected to participate next week. If Kamara is released, Miller should at least get a chance to compete for the No. 2 role. Triplett believes the team has one A-back in RB Travis Etienne, and two B-backs in Miller and, presumably, RB Devin Neal.

Bummer. His season is over. Neal was playing well in RB Alvin Kamara’s (ankle/knee) stead. Neal can be expected to contribute next year, though he may not have done enough to convince the coaching staff that he deserves to be the 2026 starter. The 22-year-old rookie rushed 57 times for 206 yards and two touchdowns, and caught 17-of-19 targets for 104 yards in his first season with the Saints.

Saints rookie RB Devin Neal (hamstring) has been starting in Kamara’s stead, but Neal has already been ruled out this week. That leaves RB Evan Hull and RB Audric Estime to potentially compete for the starting role. Estime notably outplayed Hull last week. If Kamara can return, expect him to handle a sizable workload. The Saints face the lowly Jets this week.

Neal exited after scoring a four-yard touchdown against the Panthers last week. It is an unfortunate development for the rookie running back. Saints RB Alvin Kamara (knee/ankle) was not present during the portion of practice open to media, leaving the Saints with RB Evan Hull and RB Audric Estime. Saints head coach Kellen Moore notably got Estime involved in space on three combined screen passes and checkdowns. Although he is on the practice squad, he is worth stashing. He outplayed Hull last week.