METAIRIE, La. -- New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara and Indianapolis Colts cornerback Chris Lammons have been suspended for the first three games of the season for their role in a 2022 fight in Las Vegas, the league announced Friday.
Both players can participate in the preseason and are eligible to return to the active roster Monday, Sept. 25.
Kamara will miss the Saints' home opener against the Tennessee Titans in Week 1 and away games against the Carolina Panthers and Green Bay Packers.
"Poor judgment on my end, definitely a bad decision, but I'm a man," Kamara said after practice Friday before the suspension was announced. "Anything I've ever done in my life, I've stood on and I can take accountability for. I can say when I'm wrong, and I was completely wrong. I embarrassed the Saints, I embarrassed my family and my mother, I embarrassed myself, I embarrassed this city and the shield, obviously I embarrassed the NFL."
Saints coach Dennis Allen said he was happy Kamara's suspension wasn't longer.
"Anytime you're going to lose one of your better players for any period of time, it's disappointing," Allen said Saturday. "But I think a three-game suspension is a pretty good outcome for us. We'll adjust accordingly and kind of move forward. It's really not going to change a lot with our plan for what we're doing right now. The great thing about it is we know what it is and we know we're going to have Alvin for 14 games and he'll still be a big part of what we're doing.
"But yet I sense a little bit of relief that there's some finality to this."
Kamara met with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell earlier in the week to discuss Kamara's side of the story, and Kamara said he was grateful for the opportunity. He said he felt as though he was finally able to put the incident behind him after that meeting.
"It's hanging over you, it's hanging over you, and obviously it's self-inflicted, but nonetheless it's like a dark cloud," Kamara said. "It's hard to enjoy the smaller things. Today I had a boost at practice, I just felt better, like a weight was off me. I'm just looking forward to focusing on football."
Kamara apologized for his role in the fight, which left one man injured on the eve of the Pro Bowl in Las Vegas. Kamara was initially facing a felony charge but accepted a plea deal that reduced his charges to breach of peace, a misdemeanor.
"I'd be lying if I said it hasn't affected me," Kamara said. "It affected me last season. It affected me every day. I lost a lot. I lost [money], I lost some friends, I lost some support from people. But, like I said, I've had a ton of support from this organization and family and friends -- the people that know me, that know what I stand for and what I'm about. That's kept me going.
"I'm not glossing over the situation and downplaying it in any way. It was poor judgment on my end, and it was obviously unfortunate. It's just got to be a thing where I'm mature, take ownership of it and make better decisions."
Kamara said he doesn't expect New Orleans to lose anything when he's out. The Saints will turn to running back Jamaal Williams, who signed with the team in free agency after leading the league with 17 touchdowns last year while with the Detroit Lions. New Orleans also selected rookie Kendre Miller in the third round of the 2023 NFL draft.
"We've got to keep going if I'm here or not, right?" Kamara added. "I know these guys; that's kind of been the question mark, 'OK, well, is he going to get suspended, is he not going to get suspended? I don't think ... anyone is setting here like, 'OK, if Alvin is suspended, we can't do this or do that.' It's going to keep moving. Nothing is going to stop. ... I expect them to go and win for however long I'm suspended."