Alvin Kamara is hoping to change his fortune regarding how his season will begin with the New Orleans Saints.
He is planning to meet with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell to discuss his side of the incident that happened last year in order to avoid suspension. Per NBC Sports, that meeting could come as soon as this week.
“I’ll talk to you all on Aug. 2 after I talk to [Goodell],” Kamara said.
Saints’ head coach Dennis Allen spoke about Kamara’s plans on meeting with Goodell in order to talk about what happened leading up to his arrest in 2022 for a fight in Las Vegas on the day before the Pro Bowl last year.
ESPN quoted Allen as saying, “I think Alvin really wants to get out ahead of this and have a chance to visit with Roger and kind of give him his side of the story,” Allen said. “And look, at the end of the day, I think part of it is, ‘Let’s get some resolution with where we’re at and move forward.’ I think Alvin is looking forward to putting this behind him and focusing in on what he has to do to be the best he can be for our team this season.”
NFL Hasn’t Decided Kamara’s Fate Yet
The league has not notified Kamara or the Saints as to whether Kamara will receive a suspension or not yet, but Kamara is hoping that his chat with Goodell will keep him from receiving any suspension, or probably at least soften the blow.
In February of 2022, Kamara and another NFL player were facing a felony charge of battery with substantial bodily harm and a misdemeanor charge of conspiracy to commit battery stemming from an altercation on Feb. 5, 2022, the day before the Pro Bowl. Kamara entered a plea deal to a reduced misdemeanor charge of breach of peace last month.
Kamara, along with free agent cornerback Chris Lammons, and two others Darrin Young, and Percy Harris, brutally assaulted Darnell Greene as they were all leaving a casino in Las Vegas. What started out as Greene attempting to get on the elevator turned into him fending himself off from those four men. When the altercation ended Greene was hospitalized and left with multiple injuries, including an orbital fracture in his right eye as he was punched and kicked by all four men.
On top of the obvious and visible injuries, there is also a video of the incident obtained by TMZ showing the moment when Greene was viciously jumped by the four men, including Kamara, as he tried to enter the elevator.
The Saints running back met with Greene over a civil suit and ended up having to pay $100,000 for his medical costs, a minuscule figure compared to the $10 million Greene was originally seeking in damages. Kamara also released a public statement about it as well.
“Please accept my sincere apologies for the events of February 5, 2022, in Las Vegas,” the apology stated. “I am happy that we were able to get on the other side of this unfortunate incident, and I wish you the best for the future.”
Though Kamara settled the legal matters, the NFL will not just chalk their decision up to a face to face meeting to decide the fate of the running back’s future.
Following Kamara’s troubled situation, the NFL reiterated that they maintain the right to hand out punishments regardless of whether or not a player was charged or had a criminal conviction.
“It is not enough simply to avoid being found guilty of a crime,” the league policy states. “We are all held to a higher standard and must conduct ourselves in a way that is responsible, promotes the values of the NFL, and is lawful. Players convicted of a crime or subject to a disposition of a criminal proceeding … are subject to discipline,” as cited by ESPN.
Kamara is a huge part of the Saints’ offense. They are one of the NFL teams that rely heavily on their running back for rush and pass situations. The organization is hoping Goodell is gentle with how he dispenses punishment, because a prolonged absence from Kamara would hurt the team’s playoff chances.
It isn’t clear what the other three men have legally done following their arrests, but Chris Lammons, who was also involved in the incident, recently signed with the Indiannapolis Colts.
