Alvin Kamara spent his three-week suspension in Miami, using it as a brief mini camp to keep himself in football shape.
The Saints running back is more than ready to get back to action this Sunday. And Who Dat nation is ready to embrace their star running back, especially as the offense continues to struggle.
Alvin Kamara practiced with the team for the first time, Wednesday, then spoke to the media.
“It’s weird not playing, so obviously it feels good to be back out there with teammates, feels good to be back out there running, moving around,” Kamara said. “Finally get to play a game, so it’ll be good.”
Kamara called his suspension “an abbreviated, less taxing offseason.”
He said “just kind of kept my same routine, tried not to overdo it, being anxious and wanting to play. It went well.”
Conversely, the Saints offense isn’t doing that well. It’s not clear whether quarterback Derek Carr will play against Tampa Bay. He sprained his AC joint last Sunday in a loss against the Packers. Jameis Winston replaced Carr and threw for 101 yards. However, the Saints blew a 17-point, fourth-quarter lead to lose 18-17.
With Carr ailing, the Saints signed Jake Luton off the Panthers practice to squad to give the quarterback depth chart an extra body. Jake Haener, the Saints’ fourth-round draft pick, is in the middle of a six-game suspension afte failing a drug test right before the season started.
New Orleans had time to plan for Alvin Kamara’s suspension. In July, Kamara pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor charge of breach of peace. It was for his involvement in a fight outside a Las Vegas night club in February, 2022 during Pro Bowl week. As part of the plea deal, a judge sentenced him to 30 hours of community service and agreed to pay for the victim’s medical expenses, which totaled more than $105,000. He also settled a lawsuit filed by the victim.
Kamara also met with commissioner Roger Goodell in New York after he agreed to the plea deal. He knew he’d be suspended for violating the league’s personal conduct policy, it was a matter of how many games. Kamara also apologized to his family, the city of New Orleans, his teammates and Saints fans, saying that he’d embarrassed them with his “poor judgment.”
But that’s all behind him. Coach Dennis Allen liked what he saw when he watched Kamara practice with the rest of the team.
“He looked good,” Allen said. “He’s in shape, looked explosive today. It’s good to have him back out there, so we’re excited to have him.”
Now, can Alvin Kamara solve some of the Saints’ offensive problems? He can’t heal Carr’s right shoulder, but he can add more of a dimension to the running game. In three games without him, the Saints averaged only 17.7 points per game, which ranks 25th in the NFL. The rushing offense averages a benign 93.3 yards per game, which is 21st in the NFL.
“I’ve had the same message for seven years: Whatever I’ve got to do, I’m going to do it,” Alvin Kamara told reporters. “So if that’s in the game plan, if that’s in the cards, so be it. But we’ve got tons of weapons.”
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