Saints Rookie Devin Neal Exits Vs. Panthers: What We Know Now

The New Orleans Saints' running back room is certainly not at full strength right now.

Saints Pro Bowler Alvin Kamara hasn't played in a game for New Orleans since Nov. 23 against the Atlanta Falcons. He has dealt with knee and ankle injuries. The Saints lost running back Kendre Miller earlier in the campaign for the season to a torn ACL. At the time, Miller was the No. 2 back behind Kamara. With Miller out and Kamara out, the Saints turned to rookie running back Devin Neal as the No. 1 guy over the last two weeks and into Sunday's Week 15 contest against the Carolina Panthers.

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Unfortunately, his day is done. Neal came out early due to a hamstring injury and was quickly ruled out by the team.

The Saints rookie exited

Dec 14, 2025; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Saints running back Devin Neal (24) is walked off of the field after an injury during the second quarter against the Carolina Panthers at Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images | Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images

"Devin Neal is out for the remainder of today’s game," the Saints announced.

Devin Neal is OUT for the remainder of today’s game. @Saints https://t.co/969bhSp9b1
— New Orleans Saints PR (@SaintsPR) December 14, 2025

Neal made his impact felt early before coming out. He racked up 28 rushing yards on seven carries and scored the second touchdown of his career.

New Orleans hasn't announced the severity of the hamstring injury as of writing, but in the meantime, the Saints' backfield will be led by Evan Hull and Audric Estime.

Before the injury, Neal was starting to find his footing in the Saints' offense and looked like a spark plug out of the backfield. Hopefully, this is an ailment that just holds him out of Sunday's contest and doesn't extend beyond. As more information comes out, we will keep you updated here.

New was selected with the No. 184 pick in the sixth round of the 2025 NFL Draft. Neal has looked like a steal. He earned a job with the Saints despite a crowded running back room throughout the summer. He waited his turn and looked good as the starter, including a 70-yard game last week against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, to go along with the first touchdown of his career. Now, we wait to see what comes next.

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