When Alvin Kamara is on the football field, he’s considered one of the top running/receiving threats in the NFL. His five Pro Bowls with the New Orleans Saints back that claim.
Kamara, though, is getting older. And just four days ago, an injury forced him to leave practice early. That ailment leads to wondering whether the Saints will play it safe and rest their longtime RB1 ahead of Sunday’s preseason game against the San Francisco 49ers.
What is Alvin Kamara’s Injury? Details Emerge, Including Status for Sunday
Kamara is dealing with what his head coach, Dennis Allen, described to reporters as back tightness.
Allen is downplaying the severity of the ailment, telling the media that it’s “no big deal.” However, does this mean that Kamara will play against the defending NFC champs?
Kamara’s status ahead of Sunday’s contest is still unknown. However, both teams are expected to play their starters right away if they’re healthy.
Kamara isn’t the only Saints RB dealing with an injury.
Second-year RB Kendre Miller isn’t expected to play as he deals with a hamstring injury. Miller wasn’t active in the Saints’ preseason opener against the Arizona Cardinals a week ago.
Kamara did manage to see some action with the rest of the New Orleans starters last week, rushing twice for 3 yards.
Kamara went on to watch 2023 undrafted rookie Jordan Mims lead the way for the Saints with 10 carries and 38 yards. Elsewhere, fellow veteran RB Jamaal Williams delivered six carries for 20 yards and James Robinson tallied seven carries for 27 yards.
Given Miller’s status, perhaps there’s a chance Kamara will join the rest of the Saints’ starters early on at Levi’s Stadium.
Is Kamara on the Decline?
Kamara has earned five Pro Bowls since 2017 for the Saints. Not long ago, during the 2020 season, he led the NFL in total combined touchdowns with 21, which placed him sixth in voting for the league’s Offensive Player of the Year award.
That same season saw Kamara hit career-highs of 932 rushing yards and 16 rushing touchdowns while also producing another personal record by snatching 83 passes.
Kamara, however, has witnessed yearly declines since his last Pro Bowl berth. His rushing yardage has dipped each of the last three seasons, going from 898 in 2021 to a career-low 694 yards in 2023.
His percentages of runs that surpassed 10 yards in both home and away games detail an increase rather than a significant drop, per TruMedia.
Kamara hasn’t been much of a factor on the receiving end either since his epic 2020 campaign. He caught 47 and 57 passes in 2021 and 2022, respectively, before catching 75 passes last season.
But still, Kamara hasn’t surpassed the 80-catch mark like he did in the first four NFL seasons since 2020.
But a lot of Kamara’s decline is due to an injury pileup over the years. He’s dealt with six different injuries as a pro: A 2017 concussion, two ankle sprains in 2019 and 2023, and, of course, his PCL and MCL sprains in 2019 and 2021, respectively.
Those injuries have prevented Kamara from playing a full 17-game schedule or starting in more than 13 contests in any season throughout his career.
Whether Kamara plays Sunday or not, the Saints return a 29-year-old RB with Pro Bowl accolades but a significant injury history. The latter could convince the Saints to rest Kamara ahead of the 2024 regular season.
