The New Orleans Saints clinched the NFC South for the fourth straight year after beating the Minnesota Vikings on Christmas Day at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. But it came with a hefty price as they will lose linebacker Kwon Alexander for the remainder of the season after he tore his Achilles tendon in the second half against the Vikings.
NFL Network's Ian Rapoport broke the news, which couldn't come at a more unfortunate time for the Saints as they're gearing up for another postseason run.
Kwon Alexander did, in fact, tear his Achilles, as feared. Done for 2020. https://t.co/oj7TkOQoph
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) December 26, 2020
Alexander's unfortunate setback dampened the Saints' win, highlighted by superstar running back Alvin Kamara's historic six-touchdown performance.
The 26-year-old Alexander, who was just recently acquired by the Saints in a midseason trade with the San Francisco 49ers in November, easily assumed his role for coach Sean Payton. In only seven games, he already tallied 27 tackles, four passes defended, and two fumble recoveries, shoring up the Saints' middling defense.
It's quite a cruel twist of fate for Alexander, who posted a motivational tweet early this week. Now, it feels like a terrible foreshadowing.
New week! Lets be Legendary ‼️
— Kwon Alexander (@kwon) December 22, 2020
The former LSU standout and one-time Pro Bowl selection will be a crucial loss for the Saints. Guys like Alex Anzalone, Demario Davis, and rookie Zack Baun need to pick up the slack and provide more defensive production as they hope to gain more momentum heading into the NFL Playoffs.
Kwon Alexander will try to cheer from his home when the Saints take on the Carolina Panthers on the road on Sunday at the Bank of America Stadium.
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