The New Orleans Saints look set to have a new face in their RB depth chart for Week 1 Sunday in Detroit against the Lions.
CJ Donaldson, an undrafted rookie from Ohio State, is set to be elevated from the practice squad, according to Saints beat reporter Nick Underhill.
Rookie RB CJ Donaldson is expected to be elevated for Sunday’s game against the Lions, per sources. Big opportunity for the promising rookie.
— Nick Underhill (@nick_underhill) September 12, 2026
Donaldson’s elevation, which would likely be announced officially at some point on Saturday, has raised alarm bells about Alvin Kamara’s health.
Kamara officially has a questionable designation, but it seems that the Saints must have at least a little concern about his availability if they plan to bring Donaldson up from the practice squad.
A player like Donaldson is allowed three practice squad elevations to the gameday roster in a season before needing to be signed to the 53-man roster, so teams have to be somewhat strategic about these moves.
In this case, the Saints clearly feel there is a benefit to having Donaldson in uniform on Sunday, and New Orleans fans now have to hold their breath to see if it’s bad news for Kamara.
Who Is CJ Donaldson?
Donaldson is a 6-foot-1 bowling ball of a running back, listed at 230 pounds.
He’s originally from the Miami area, and he began his college career at West Virginia before going to Ohio State.
Donaldson played three years with the Mountaineers, running for a total of 2,058 yards on 4.9 yards per carry while scoring 30 touchdowns.
His 2025 season at Ohio State likely wasn’t exactly how he envisioned it as he ended up behind true freshman Bo Jackson on the depth chart. Donaldson ran 96 times for 361 yards and 10 touchdowns for the Buckeyes, proving adept at finishing off drives.
Intriguingly, Donaldson was a high school wide receiver who initially upon his commitment to WVU was viewed as a potential receiver or tight end, although that didn’t bear itself out as he had 87 runs and just nine catches as a true freshman there.
That background likely bodes well for Donaldson’s chances of being useful in the passing game if called upon, though, something you don’t always see with RBs of his sturdy stature.
When Alvin Kamara News Will Arrive
Kamara’s questionable status seems like the type of thing that could come down until late Sunday morning.
Sometimes, NFL insiders will post overnight Saturday into Sunday if a player is expected to be out, but then there are the true game-time decisions.
If Kamara’s status isn’t determined until Sunday, the inactive report comes out 90 minutes before kickoff — in this case, 11:30 a.m. ET, 10:30 a.m. Central.
Travis Etienne is expected to lead the backfield regardless, and Kendre Miller is also healthy. Whether or not Kamara plays could determine whether Donaldson actually sees the field.
Saints Add New RB for Week 1, Raise Alvin Kamara Injury Concern