Canal Street Chronicles
This week, the New Orleans Saints will travel to Charlotte to face the Carolina Panthers in Week 10 of the 2025 NFL season. With signs pointing to a potential decrease in snaps for one of the team’s captains, the player to watch is RB Devin Neal.
After fumbling with four minutes remaining in the third quarter, Alvin Kamara saw just one more snap the rest of the game—coming on the fourth-down interception. He simply hasn’t looked like himself this season, though it’s worth noting he’s been managing an ankle injury from earlier in the year that made him a game-time decision against Los Angeles.
That said, this could be the perfect opportunity for the Saints to see what they have in this year’s sixth-round pick out of Kansas, Devin Neal. This backfield needs a spark—and the 22-year-old certainly provided one for the Jayhawks. Neal had just three carries for 11 yards against Los Angeles, while seeing only 16 snaps (39%). The limited usage is puzzling, especially considering the current state of the offense and the lack of grit in the backfield.
A whopping 29 of the Saints’ 53 total rushing yards came on a single explosive play from Taysom Hill—who also accounted for their only rush of more than four yards against the Rams—yet he saw just nine snaps (22%). Remove that one play, and New Orleans averaged only 2.4 yards per carry on the day.
If the injured and aging Kamara isn’t getting it done, it might be time for the Saints to turn to the rookie, Devin Neal, and see if he can provide the juice this backfield desperately needs.
