The New Orleans Saints were dreading the inevitable, but running back Alvin Kamara, along with cornerback Chris Lammons of the Indianapolis Colts, was suspended for three games on Friday due to his involvement in an incident at a Vegas nightclub last February. 

Normally, in these situations, a player goes through a hearing with the NFL to determine what the extent of his punishment will be. This was a different situation. 

According to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, Kamara negotiated his suspension with the league. 

"The settlement kept the league from activating the formal hearing procedures, which would have resulted in a hearing before Judge Sue L. Robinson," said Florio. "After her ruling, the players or the league could have appealed the outcomes."

Due to the NFL's collective bargaining agreement, commissioner Roger Goodell can hand down punishment even if no legal action against a player is taken if he feels he violates the league's personal conduct policy. So, this decision avoided a lot of hassle.

Kamara made a statement after the suspension was handed down.

"Poor judgment on my end, definitely a bad decision, but I'm a man," Kamara said after practice Friday. "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." –Katherine Terrell, ESPN

New Orleans signed 2022 rushing touchdown king Jamaal Williams back in March and drafted Kendre Miller in the third round. That's not to say that either can perform on Kamara's level, but they're a nice insurance policy until he gets back. 

Latest NFL news makes the Saints’ offseason decisions look smart

They were ahead of the game .

Feature image via Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports