The New Orleans Saints injury bug continues to plague the team, as Alvin Kamara is the latest player to go down after suffering an MCL sprain that is expected to sideline him for at least a month. With Kamara sidelined, someone in the reserves will need to separate themselves and step up in his absence.
The rushing duo of Travis Etienne and Alvin Kamara had many analysts showing great respect and expectations for what the two could accomplish. Now, those expectations will have to be put on hold as the highly anticipated duo will have to wait before they get a chance to share the backfield in 2026.
One of their biggest positional strengths just took a major hit and it will be very difficult to replicate the potential impact Etienne and Kamara could have as a duo. The Saints will now have to find creative ways to make up for Kamara’s production while he’s sidelined.
New Orleans Saints running back depth could be a major problem
The New Orleans Saints run game is in big trouble. Their current rushing reserves on the preseason roster don’t have a very encouraging history in the league.
Although Kamara is expected to only miss a few games to start the season, the Saints are essentially a one man show at running back, with Etienne being the only proven player with respectable production. The opportunity is there for the reserves to separate themselves, but their limited production and lack of established roles in the league isn’t very encouraging.
With Alvin Kamara’s sideline to start the season, opposing defenses will have the luxury of focusing their attention on Etienne. This could potentially delay the high expectations for the Saints' running game.
Kendre Miller and Devin Neal haven’t shown much early in their careers with Miller constantly dealing with injuries, and Neal got hurt quickly in his rookie campaign. Audric Estime and Ty Chandler have also had very limited roles throughout their careers.
Etienne has experience leading a backfield as the clear star, but the hope was for a 1-2 punch. It's hard to see where that second punch comes from reliably. The room has talent, but they're largely unproven and haven't been able to stay healthy for extended periods of time.
Because of that, the weight is going to rest squarely on the shoulders of Etienne. It's nothing new to him, and the Saints gave him a big contract for a reason. However, Kamara's injury did bring the questionable depth to light.
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