The New Orleans Saints placed rookie running back Devin Neal on injured reserve December 17 due to a hamstring injury, ending his rookie season. The move was announced as part of a batch of Week 16 roster transactions by Saints executive VP/GM Mickey Loomis.
Key details
- Transaction: Neal to injured reserve (December)
- Injury: Hamstring (suffered vs. Panthers)
- Rookie production: 57 carries, 206 yards, 2 TD; 17 catches, 104 yards
- Context: Saints host the Jets Sunday (Week 16) at 1 p.m. ET (CBS)
Saints Place Devin Neal on IR After Hamstring Injury
Neal was hurt during Sunday’s 20-17 win over the Carolina Panthers, and he was ruled out for the second half with the hamstring issue.
By December 17, New Orleans made it official: Neal was placed on injured reserve in a set of roster moves that also included the Saints adding Nyheim Miller-Hines to the practice squad and promoting wide receiver Kevin Austin Jr. from the practice squad to the active roster.
The IR move effectively ends Neal’s season, because players on injured reserve must miss at least four games under current NFL rules.
What It Means for the Saints’ Backfield vs. the Jets
The timing matters: the Saints are heading into Week 16 already juggling multiple running back issues. ESPN reported that Neal had moved into the team’s top running back role due to attrition, with Alvin Kamara dealing with knee/ankle injuries and Kendre Miller out for the season with a torn ACL.
With Neal now on IR, the immediate question becomes how New Orleans will split touches against the New York Jets on Sunday. ESPN’s Katherine Terrell reported Evan Hull and Audric Estime are the most likely candidates to handle carries, with Estime already carving out a role on key drives.
The Saints also added a potential safety valve by signing Miller-Hines to the practice squad, giving them another option to elevate if they need more speed in the passing game or return-game flexibility down the stretch.
The Saints also have a practical roster decision to make over the next 48 hours: whether to elevate Miller-Hines for game day or lean purely on Hull/Estime behind their reshuffled offensive line packages. Either way, Neal’s IR placement closes the book on a promising late-season spark and forces New Orleans to win with a thinner margin for error in the backfield as the schedule tightens.
Neal’s Late-Season Flash Still Leaves a Clear Offseason Hook
Even with the frustrating finish, Neal gave the Saints a couple of real “file this away” moments late in the year.
In Week 14 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Neal logged 19 carries for 70 yards and a touchdown, one of the clearer signs he could handle real volume when called upon.
He followed that up by scoring again against Carolina, punching in a rushing touchdown before the hamstring injury knocked him out.
For a sixth-round rookie pick, that’s meaningful: Neal finished his season with two touchdowns and 19 total touches (57 rushes + 19 targets) without a fumble, which is exactly the kind of low-drama reliability that keeps a young back in a team’s plans.
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