Kwon Alexander is done for the season and potentially as a Saint as well

The New Orleans Saints watched Kwon Alexander, a recently acquired linebacker that had a history of injury issues, tear his Achilles against the Vikings.

It was a thrilling Christmas Day for everyone but the Minnesota Vikings and Kwon Alexander. A player the team added just a few weeks ago from San Francisco, Alexander has found a home in the Big Easy.

That said, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported Alexander’s injury.

It’s a brutal injury and will be a lengthy rehab. The star linebacker was traded about two months ago for Kiko Alonso and a conditional fifth-round pick. Here’s how the conditional part works since that will come into play.

"“But what was really interesting to me here was the pick that the Saints sent the Niners to do the deal—and more specifically, the condition on it. It’s a 2022 fifth-round pick that becomes a 2021 fifth-rounder if Alexander hits play-time markers as a Saint. Conditions like that to move a pick up a round are common. But I’m not sure I’ve ever seen a deal where a condition moves a pick up a year,” Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer wrote."

So, the pick may shift as Alexander is expected to miss the rest of the season. The biggest issue is the gap that Alexander is going to leave in the Saints defense. They’ll need Alex Anzalone to fill the void, but clearly, they would’ve rather an upgrade over Anzalone.

Alexander may not have played just his last snaps of the season but also his last snaps as a Saint.

Why?

Well, in the offseason of 2019, Alexander signed a massive four-year deal, one that would leave dead cap space if he’s released following this season. The deal was worth $54 million with a combined base salary of over $25 million for the next two seasons.

The Saints don’t have much cap space to work with. The plan all along was seemed to like it was to release Alexander following the season; however, no one wanted to see the linebacker go out like this.

Alexander will end the season with 12 starts and 57 combined tackles. He also had a sack and two fumble recoveries. His impact with the Saints was obvious. The 26-year-old still has quite a bit of a career in front of him.