One of the most disheartening experiences for a fan of any football team is watching a beloved player nearing the end of their career, especially when their overall play has deteriorated.
Last season, the New Orleans Saints were lucky to avoid seeing this when they dealt cornerback Marshon Lattimore at the trade deadline, but they’re not as fortunate this season. One player who remains on the Saints’ roster has had a disappointing season, and this is becoming a glaring issue.
Saints’ RB Alvin Kamara’s Season Performance
So far this year, Alvin Kamara has not played well. At first, it seemed to be due to the new offensive scheme introduced by head coach Kellen Moore and the issues with the interior offensive line.
Although both these factors are definitely not helping what Kamara can do on the field, they are not the sole reason for his struggles. Kamara appears to have lost a step this season, and upon examining the younger running backs on the roster, a clear difference is evident.
Now, another factor that must be discussed before proceeding is his ankle injury. For a significant portion of the season, Kamara has been dealing with this injury, which could be a reason why he is playing worse.
In past seasons, this same conversation was popular when the veteran RB was having an underwhelming season. It was later revealed that these struggles were primarily due to an injury, and he bounced back the season after. This was when Kamara still had a good number of high-quality years left, but being 30, that is no longer the case.
The Future Must Be the Focus
Releasing or trading Kamara will not happen because both he and the Saints want the veteran RB to retire with the team, but there’s another way they can virtually move on. Currently, Kendre Miller, who is out for the year with an injury, and rookie Devin Neal are the only two other future options at RB. Miller has shown massive potential, and in the little snaps Neal has run the ball, he has proven to be a perfect scheme fit.
Going forward this season, Neal should be utilized as the RB1 until at least Kamara is fully healthy. Regarding the long-term future, the Saints need to look at RB in the upcoming draft, in case the coaching staff does not believe a tandem of Miller and Neal is good enough.