Kamara carried the ball 20 times for 115 yards and three touchdowns and caught two of three targets for 65 yards and a fourth touchdown in Sunday's 44-19 win over the Cowboys.
The veteran running back found the end zone on runs of five, 12 and seven yards in the rout, but his receiving score was his most impressive scamper, as he took a screen pass 57 yards to the house in the second quarter. Kamara has been a perfect match for new offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak's scheme, and he's topped 100 scrimmage in both of his first two games to begin the season while racking up five total scores. He'll look to keep rolling in a Week 3 home clash with the Eagles.
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Saints' Alvin Kamara: Piles up yardage in big win
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Kamara carried the ball 15 times for 83 yards and a touchdown and caught all five of his targets for 27 yards in Sunday's 47-10 win over the Panthers.
The veteran running back didn't get the contract extension he was looking for ahead of the season opener, but Kamara didn't let that affect his performance on the field. He capped his big day with a one-yard TD plunge in the third quarter. Kamara hasn't posted better than 4.0 yards per carry in a season since 2020, but if the Saints' offense is able to keep putting up numbers against tougher opponents, he could be headed for a bounce-back campaign. Kamara will face a much sterner test in Week 2 against the Cowboys.
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Saints' Alvin Kamara: Not playing in preseason finale
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Kamara isn't suited up for Sunday's exhibition contest against Tennessee, Katherine Terrell of ESPN.com reports.
Kamara returned to practice Tuesday after dealing with back tightness for about a week. The running back missed the Saints' second preseason game against San Francisco last weekend and won't play in the finale of the exhibition slate Sunday, so he'll finish the preseason with the two carries for three yards he tallied in New Orleans' opener against Arizona on Aug. 10. All signs point to Kamara being ready to go as the Saints' No. 1 running back Week 1 against Carolina on Sunday, Sept. 8.
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Saints' Alvin Kamara: Returns to practice
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Kamara (back) returned to practice Tuesday, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.
While it was a lighter practice, according to Matthew Paras of NOLA.com, Kamara's return is certainly a positive sign. Kamara had been sidelined since Aug. 13 with back tightness. Given the veteran's status as the team's No. 1 option in the backfield, it would not be surprising to see head coach Dennis Allen continue to exercise caution with his availability going forward in preseason competition.
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Saints' Alvin Kamara: Sitting out against 49ers
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Kamara (back) won't play in Sunday's preseason game against the 49ers, John Hendrix of Sports Illustrated reports.
Kamara is in attendance but won't be seeing the field, as the coaching staff has little reason to deploy the veteran running back in this exhibition game while he works his way back from back tightness that has kept him from practicing in the lead-up to this second preseason game. Kamara's unlikely to dress for the Saints' Aug. 25 preseason finale against the Titans, but the team hasn't given any indication that his regular-season availability could be affected by the injury.
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Saints' Alvin Kamara: Still missing practice
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Kamara (back) remained sidelined at practice Friday, Katherine Terrell of ESPN.com reports.
Per Luke Johnson of the New Orleans Times-Picayune, Kamara left practice earlier this week with back tightness, so at this stage the running back should be considered day-to-day. With that in mind, it doesn't seem likely that Kamara will appear in Sunday's preseason game against the 49ers.
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Saints' Alvin Kamara: Dealing with back injury
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Saints head coach Dennis Allen said Kamara didn't practice Tuesday due to back tightness, John Hendrix of SI.com reports.
Prior to Tuesday's session, Kamara participated in walkthrough, so he wasn't without some activity, and Allen told Luke Johnson of The New Orleans Times-Picayune afterward that the running back's situation is "not a big deal." Kamara handled six offensive snaps during this past Saturday's preseason win at Arizona, but it's unclear if the current concern will affect his availability for Sunday's exhibition at San Francisco.
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Saints' Alvin Kamara: Reports for training camp
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Kamara, who skipped the final day of minicamp back in June, is present for training camp Tuesday, Luke Johnson and Matthew Paras of NOLA.com report.
Kamara skipped the final day of June's mandatory minicamp due to apparent dissatisfaction with his current contract, but he won't risk incurring fines by skipping training camp. The veteran running back, who turns 29 this Thursday, is effectively heading into the final year of his contract, as there's little conceivable scenario wherein the Saints take on the $29 million cap hit he's due in 2025. Kamara has now put together three straight seasons with a 4.0 or worse YPC mark, but he's kept his fantasy value afloat via work in the receiving game, having tallied 75 receptions through just 13 games last year. He again projects for a high-usage role in 2024, with Kendre Miller and Jamaal Williams behind him on the depth chart.
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Saints' Alvin Kamara: Reports for minicamp
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Kamara (ankle) participated in the initial practice of the Saints' mandatory minicamp Tuesday, Mike Triplett of NewOrleans.Football reports.
Kamara wasn't present for most of the team's offseason program, but his presence this week indicates he's healthy after missing Week 18 of last season due to an ankle injury. While he managed to surpass 1,000 yards from scrimmage for the seventh consecutive campaign in 2023, his 1,160 yards marked the lowest total of his career, partly due to him missing the first three games of the campaign due to a suspension. He'll again have to contend with Jamaal Williams and even Taysom Hill for short-yardage and goal-line work, but Kamara doesn't have much competition for reps otherwise. He's poised for a busy role in New Orleans' new-look scheme under offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak.
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Saints' Alvin Kamara: Role safe following NFL Draft
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Kamara (ankle) is in a strong position to maintain his role in New Orleans' offense after the team did not pick a running back in the 2024 NFL Draft, instead signing Jacob Kibodi as an undrafted free agent.
The Saints added two running backs by this point of last offseason, bringing in veteran free agent Jamaal Williams and third-round pick Kendre Miller for depth behind Kamara. The latter running back still shouldered the majority of work out of the backfield with 180 carries for 694 yards and five touchdowns. He also played a significant role in the passing game with 75 receptions for 466 yards. This versatility speaks to Kamara's importance in what was an extremely limited offense. Williams unsurprisingly played much more sparingly as a short-yardage back, and he should function in a similar role in 2024. Taysom Hill has always been used as a Swiss Army Knife who, at times, operates as a rushing quarterback out of the shotgun. However, Hill's usage has never threatened Kamara's production in the past. Instead, his biggest obstacles to seeing another heavy workload in 2024 would be whether or not Miller starts to see more opportunities or if Kamara continues to struggle with injuries, as he did miss the 2023 season finale with a sprained ankle. The Saints added offensive lineman Taliese Fuaga with the 14th overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, which could help keep defenders off Kamara while improving the team's ground game as a whole.
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Saints' Alvin Kamara: Second in catches among RBs
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Kamara (ankle) finished the 2023 season with 694 yards and five touchdowns on 180 rushing attempts, as well as 75 catches (on 86 targets) for 466 yards and one touchdown.
Despite sitting out the first three games of the season due to a suspension and missing the Saints' finale with an ankle injury, Kamara finished just one catch shy of Breece Hall's league-leading total among running backs. Kamara's 6.2 yards per catch were a career low, though, and he posted the second-lowest YPC mark of his seven-year career at 3.9, suggesting that the 28-year-old running back is starting to slow down. There's a potential out in his contract this offseason, and the Saints will probably try to rework Kamara's deal rather than take on a nearly $19 million cap hit in 2024. Any change in situation would likely negatively impact Kamara's fantasy value, as his volume's more likely to go down than up, even with his ankle injury expected to be healed well before the 2024 campaign.
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Saints' Alvin Kamara: Inactive in Week 18
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Kamara (ankle) is listed as inactive Sunday versus the Falcons.
Kamara's Week 17 was abbreviated due to a sprained ankle, which didn't allow him to log a snap after halftime last Sunday at Tampa Bay. He then didn't practice at all during Week 18 prep before coach Dennis Allen called him a game-time decision Friday for this Sunday's contest, per Matthew Paras of The New Orleans Times-Picayune. The tide began to turn against Kamara suiting up following a report from Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football on Sunday morning that the running back wasn't expected to play, and that has come to pass. With Kamara sidelined for the first time since Week 3, he'll yield the Saints backfield to Jamaal Williams, while Kendre Miller (ankle) and Jordan Mims are available behind him.
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Saints' Alvin Kamara: Looks unlikely to play Sunday
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Kamara (ankle) isn't expected to play Sunday against the Falcons, Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football reports.
Kamara didn't practice this past week, with previous reports suggesting that the running back was viewed as a game-time decision for the contest. Confirmation of Kamara's Week 18 status will arrive once the Saints' inactives are posted 90 minutes prior to Sunday's 1 p.m. ET kickoff, but if he is indeed unavailable, Jamaal Williams would be a candidate to serve as New Orleans' lead back, while Taysom Hill, Kendre Miller (ankle/illness) and practice-squad call-up Jordan Mims would also be in the mix for added snaps versus Atlanta.
Kamara (ankle) remains listed as questionable for Sunday's matchup with the Falcons and is viewed as a game-time decision, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.
Saints head coach Dennis Allen suggested as much after Friday's practice, but at this stage, Kamara may be more likely than not to sit out the regular-season finale after he was listed as a non-participant on each of the Saints' three practice reports this week. Kamara will presumably be put through a pregame workout before the Saints make a determination if he's fit to play through the ankle sprain, but even if the running back is deemed active ahead of the 1 p.m. ET kickoff, he could handle a more limited role than usual. Jamaal Williams would serve as New Orleans' lead back if Kamara isn't available Sunday, while Taysom Hill, Kendre Miller (ankle) and practice-squad call-up Jordan Mims could also be in the mix for carries behind Williams.
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Saints' Alvin Kamara: Fails to practice Wednesday
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Kamara (ankle) was listed as a non-participant at Wednesday's practice, John Hendrix of SI.com reports.
Kamara didn't play after halftime of this past Sunday's win in Tampa Bay due to an ankle injury, which head coach Dennis Allen called a sprain of unknown severity Monday. With no on-field work to begin Week 18 prep, Kamara will now have two more sessions this week to put himself on a path to suiting up for Sunday's must-win game against the Falcons. If Kamara is inhibited or sidelined this weekend, he'll yield most of the backfield reps to Jamaal Williams.
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Saints' Alvin Kamara: Not spotted at practice Wednesday
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Kamara (ankle) wasn't seen on the field during the media-access portion of Wednesday's practice, Katherine Terrell of ESPN.com reports.
Kamara made an early exit from this past Sunday's win at Tampa Bay due to an ankle injury, which head coach Dennis Allen confirmed to be a sprain one day later, per John Hendrix of SI.com. The severity of the issue isn't known, but it appears to be keeping Kamara off the field for the first session of Week 18 prep. Wednesday's practice report ultimately may confirm as much.
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Saints' Alvin Kamara: Severity of ankle sprain uncertain
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Saints head coach Dennis Allen didn't clarify the severity of Kamara's ankle sprain but said the running back was rehabbing the injury Monday, John Hendrix of SI.com reports.
Kamara suffered an ankle sprain in Sunday's victory over Tampa Bay and wasn't able to play in the second half. The Saints need a win over Atlanta on Sunday to have a chance of qualifying for the postseason, but it's uncertain if he'll be able to suit up for the contest. Kamara's chances of playing should become clearer as Week 18 prep unfolds, and if he isn't able to take the field, Jamaal Williams would likely take over the bulk of the work in the Saints backfield.
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Saints' Alvin Kamara: Exits Sunday with ankle injury
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Kamara has been ruled out for the rest of Sunday's game against the Buccaneers with an ankle injury, Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football reports.
Kamara carried 10 times for 45 yards and caught two passes for four yards in the first two quarters of the game but remained in the locker room at halftime to get the ankle injury checked out. The Saints initially listed Kamara as questionable to return shortly after the third quarter started, only for him to be ruled out for the rest of the game shortly thereafter. New Orleans will likely turn to Jamaal Williams and Taysom Hill as its primary rushers for the rest of the day.
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Saints' Alvin Kamara: Active as expected Sunday
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Kamara (illness) is active for Sunday's game against the Buccaneers.
The star running back was reported to be trending toward suiting up Saturday night, and his active status is now official. While his availability is certainly welcome news for fantasy managers counting on the versatile veteran in their leagues' critical postseason matchups, it's worth noting Kamara is coming off his most inefficient rushing day of the season -- he garnered 19 yards on nine carries against the Rams in Week 16 -- and faces a Buccaneers defense that's yielded just 64.3 rushing yards per contest in the last three games.
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Saints' Alvin Kamara: Expected to play Sunday
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Kamara (illness) is slated to play in Sunday's game at Tampa Bay, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
Kamara sat out Friday's practice due to an illness and is officially listed as questionable for Week 17. In light of Schefter's report, however, Kamara looks set to avoid the Saints' inactive list, which will be posted about 90 minutes before Sunday's 1 p.m. ET kickoff. With that in mind, Kamara has a good chance at handling his typical workload, which has equated to 89 touches for 418 yards from scrimmage and three rushing touchdowns in five games since the team's Week 11 bye.
