New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara did not practice on Friday due to an illness and is listed as questionable for his team’s pivotal Week 17 matchup with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, via Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk.
This is a certainly a rather unexpected turn of events for the Saints, who will be battling for their playoff lives this Sunday.
Kamara may not be the same Pro Bowl-caliber halfback he once was several years ago, but he is still a major part of New Orleans’ offense.
In 12 games this season, Kamara has rushed for 649 yards and five touchdowns while averaging 3.8 yards per carry. In addition, he has hauled in 73 receptions for 462 yards and a score.
Kamara missed the first three games of the year due to a suspension.
The 28-year-old, who played his collegiate football at the University of Tennessee, was selected by the Saints in the third round of the 2017 NFL Draft.
It didn’t take long for Kamara to establish himself as one of the best all-purpose backs in football, as he made the Pro Bowl during his rookie campaign after registering 728 yards and eight touchdowns as a rusher while also catching 81 passes for 826 yards and five scores.
Kamara made the Pro Bowl in each of his first five seasons, and in 2020, he led the NFL with 21 total touchdowns.
Over the last couple of years, however, Alvin Kamara’s production has waned, perhaps because of his heavy usage over the first five seasons of his NFL career.
Regardless, New Orleans would obviously like to have him on the field against the Buccaneers with the NFC South division title still up for grabs.
Right now, the Saints are 7-8 and sit one game behind Tampa Bay for first place in the division. After facing the Bucs, New Orleans will wrap up the regular season when it battles the Atlanta Falcons on Jan. 7.
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