New Orleans Saints running back Kendre Miller has had a slight chip on his shoulder all offseason, trying to show that there's more to him than his health concerns. Unfortunately for the former third-round pick, his preseason debut was rather underwhelming.
He was only able to carry the ball six times, gathering just 22 rushing yards. Miller nearly had an impressive 10-yard reception on a screen pass, but it was unfortunately wiped away following an offensive pass interference penalty on wide receiver Kevin Austin Jr. Overall, considering the health issues currently surrounding not only the position but also himself as well, it was a performance that needed to go better for the halfback.
It's honestly disappointing that it's gotten to this point with Miller, because there has never been a doubt about his talent. With the young tailback, he's shown flashes but has struggled to stay healthy, missing time in each of his NFL seasons. A player who has struggled to stay on the field, his performance on Saturday wasn't enough to solidify his roster spot.
Following the game against the Rams, Saints RB Kendre Miller failed to solidify his spot on the roster
Saints running back Kendre Miller, like a lot of the running backs this offseason, missed some time due to an injury (this time for a back strain). With only a few practices under his belt since returning, he was likely shaking off some rust. Either way though, he has yet to show the level of reliability needed to seperate himself from the rest of the group.
He also isn't the only young running back on the Saints that's fighting for a roster spot. What's more is that the odds aren't necessarily in his favor either, given the fact that the rest of his competition was brought to the team by the new regime. Audric Estime, Devin Neal, Ty Chandler, and CJ Donaldson have the same chance of making the roster as he does.
At least, they've all done just enough to start a conversation for a roster spot. But the issue is that the Saints can't carry six running backs (Alvin Kamara and Travis Etienne included), so one of them will have to go. Heading into the 2026 season, the Saints are expected to hold only four running backs on their roster.
However, at the moment, the situation might be a little more favorable than it was just 10 days ago due to both Alvin Kamara's and Estime's injuries With a stint on the injured reserve possible for Kamara, this upcoming week might be the most important of Miller's career so far.
If he can shake off the rust through the next couple of practices and the game against the Dallas Cowboys, maybe then he could solidify his spot. Unless of course, someone outshines him.
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