As the lone team in the NFC with five losses, the New Orleans Saints will take any good news at this point.
On Thursday, they saw a star running back, Alvin Kamara, practice with the rest of the team at a limited capacity. A former third-round selection currently in his ninth season in New Orleans, Kamara has been hindered by an ankle injury that may be responsible for dramatically slowing him down in his last couple of games.
Kamara has run the ball just 18 times over his last two games, including registering a season-low eight carries in the Oct. 5 win over the New York Giants. The Saints could be keeping the tailback on a pitch count for his health, or his lack of usage could be attributed to something a little more complex, with the Nov. 4 trade deadline approaching.
Will Alvin Kamara Be Traded Before the Deadline?
While the sky may be falling outside the facility, inside, Kamara is carrying on with business as usual. Being the subject of trade rumors isn’t a foreign concept to the 30-year-old; he’s been through this song and dance before.
What’s different this time around, though, is that the Saints may finally begin parting ways with some of the vested veterans on the roster to improve their salary-cap situation. According to Over the Cap, the Saints are 20th in the league, just north of $8.84 million in space.
Kamara signed a two-year extension with the Saints ahead of last season’s deadline and is currently tied to New Orleans through the 2026 campaign. He doesn’t have any intention of going anywhere, however.
“I don’t know where that came from, but I think I’ve been vocal enough that … I don’t want to go anywhere,” Kamara told ESPN. “And I said it countless times, y’all know that. I think everybody knows that. The fan base knows that. At the end of the day, it’s business. So, I don’t go upstairs, and I don’t have an office upstairs.”
Kamara’s Availability For Week 7 in Question
If there is something to the flames being stoked at Kamara’s expense, the Saints may not have him at their disposal for Sunday’s game against the Chicago Bears, who have won three consecutive games. No team will trade anything worthwhile for an injured running back over 30, so keeping him upright over the next few weeks will be paramount.
That means the Saints must lean on Kamara’s backup, Kendre Miller. Like Kamara, Miller is a former third-round pick. The Saints have called upon Miller at various points this season. He’s even matched Kamara’s rushing attempts (18) across the Saints’ last two games.
Miller’s 186 rushing yards are already a single-season high for his career. He found the end zone for the third rushing score of his potentially blossoming career in the Sept. 28 loss to the Buffalo Bills.
Kamara ranks No. 26 in his position group with a 75.7 impact score on Pro Football Network.