Saints Wrap Up Week 1 Prep With Alvin Kamara’s Status Still Uncertain

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The New Orleans Saints have put the finishing touches on their first game week of the 2026 season.

Friday’s practice represented the final opportunity for head coach Kellen Moore and his staff to evaluate where the roster stands before the Saints travel to Detroit for Sunday’s season opener against the Lions at Ford Field.

There was plenty to monitor throughout the week, particularly with several key players working their way through injuries and others managing their workloads ahead of Week 1. Friday provided the final glimpse into that progress before attention completely shifts toward Detroit.

Beyond the practice field, Moore addressed some of the biggest challenges awaiting the Saints against the Lions and also took time to reflect on the significance of Sept. 11.

Here are the biggest takeaways from Friday’s practice and Moore’s final media availability before the Saints head to Detroit.

AK is Officially Questionable for Sunday

Running back Alvin Kamara was full go at practice Friday, but his status has officially been listed as questionable. It’s highly possible Kamara could play on Sunday.

Moore has acknowledged Kamara’s efforts to get back on the field as soon as possible.

“I know Alvin's worked really, really hard,” Moore said. “He's put himself in a really good position to — we'll kind of make a decision here shortly. But he's done a really good job.”

As expected, defensive tackle Davon Godchaux was a full go at practice Friday. He did not participate in practice Thursday as that was his designated rest day.

Tight end Oscar Delp, running back Audric Estime and defensive end Cam Jordan are all ruled out in the Saints’ final injury report before their game against Detroit.

As for the Lions, edge rusher Derrick Moore (hamstring) and defensive lineman Mekhi Wingo (groin) fully participated at practice Friday after they were limited the past two days. Defensive back Christian Izien (groin) was the only player on Detroit’s practice report who had limited participation at practice and his status for Sunday’s game has been listed as questionable.

Kellen Moore Gives More Insight on Detroit

It’s one thing to play the Lions the first game of the season, a team that is the odds-on favorite to win the NFC North according to Vegas. It’s also another thing to play them at Ford Field in Detroit, a venue that is one of the toughest to play.

The Lions have one of the best offenses in the league year in and year out, largely because of their five-time Pro Bowl quarterback, Jared Goff.

“His ability to go through progressions and his pre-snap recognition is as good as anyone in this league,” Saints head coach Kellen Moore said. “He's going to do a really good job. It's going to stress our pre-snap looks as far as our keys and our plan of attack there.”

The defense will also stress the Saints, as defensive end Aidan Hutchinson is one of the best edge rushers in the league. Moore noted he had a “high football IQ,” while linebacker Jack Campbell is one of the league’s most underrated players at his position, serving as a “steady player who can play all over the field,” according to Moore.

Remembering Sept. 11

Reflecting on the anniversary of Sept. 11, Moore recalled waking up to the news as a seventh grader on the West Coast and the moment the reality of the tragedy set in during school.

"The first hour, they tried to treat it like normal school," Moore shared. "The second hour, we had a science teacher named Mr. Anderson. We walked in, and he just had it on the screen ... That's when it kind of became a reality of, like, OK, this isn't normal. This is going to change our world in many ways. I think that was when you finally started to realize the ramifications and the impacts that this was going to have on our country."

Moore also noted the generational shift within NFL locker rooms today, where many younger players were not yet born or are too young to remember the day firsthand.

"It's unique. Obviously, a lot of our younger players, it's more of a history experience for them than a real-world experience," Moore said. "So we'll never forget."

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