Saints RB Alvin Kamara has the chance to do something this season he’s never done
Alvin Kamara is entering his eighth season in the NFL, all with the New Orleans Saints, and the veteran running back already has an impressive resume. In seven seasons, he has appeared in 101 games, rushing for 5,829 yards and 54 touchdowns, while catching 505 passes for 4,219 yards and 23 more touchdowns. Additionally, Kamara has been selected to five Pro Bowls and two All-Pro teams.
He’s undoubtedly one of the best running backs in the NFL of the last decade, and arguably the greatest running back in franchise history. However, his resume is missing something that nearly all great running backs have. Alvin Kamara has never rushed for 1,000 yards in a single season.
That seems hard to believe considering how dominant he has been, and how often he has had the ball in his hands since entering the league, but Kamara has done damage on the ground and through the air. While his all-purpose yards have been pretty high, he’s never broke the 1,000-rushing-yard mark.
That could change in the 2024 season.
Alvin Kamara career stats
Season | Carries | Rushing Yards | Rushing Touchdowns | Receptions | Receiving Yards | Receiving Touchdowns |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2017 | 120 | 728 | 8 | 81 | 826 | 5 |
2018 | 194 | 883 | 14 | 81 | 709 | 4 |
2019 | 171 | 797 | 5 | 81 | 533 | 1 |
2020 | 187 | 932 | 16 | 83 | 756 | 5 |
2021 | 240 | 898 | 4 | 47 | 439 | 5 |
2022 | 223 | 897 | 2 | 57 | 490 | 2 |
2023 | 180 | 694 | 5 | 75 | 466 | 1 |
Can Alvin Kamara finally surpass 1000 rushing yards in 2024?
The reason this could finally change in Kamara’s eighth season is Klint Kubiak, who was hired as the offensive coordinator in New Orleans this offseason. Since arriving in town, Kubiak has been very honest about his desire to run the ball, and for the Saints offense to be built around an elite rushing attack. He has even raved about Kamara’s football knowledge, and how excited he is to load the running back’s plate up.
Kubiak’s history shows that no one should think he’s bluffing. He spent last season with the San Francisco 49ers. In San Francisco’s backfield, Christian McCaffrey had the best season of his career, leading the league with 1,459 rushing yards, while adding 14 rushing touchdowns.
Kubiak was only the passing game coordinator, though. The only time he’s been an offensive coordinator, prior to joining the Saints, was with the Minnesota Vikings in 2021. That season, Minnesota’s running back Dalvin Cook carried the ball 249 times for 1,159 yards and six touchdowns.
Alvin Kamara has never carried the ball more than 240 times in a single season. If Kubiak stays consistent to his offensive philosophy, and Kamara can stay heathy, the running back should surpass 1,000 rushing yards for the first time in his career. Of course, they’ll need the offensive line to have a solid season as well, but New Orleans has been optimistic about the direction of the group.
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