Alvin Kamara looks on track to be available for the New Orleans Saints in Week 2, and that could quickly change the way this backfield is split against the Baltimore Ravens.
At Kellen Moore’s press conference on Wednesday, Jeff Nowak reported that Kamara was close to being in uniform for Week 1 already. Nowak shared: "Kellen Moore says Alvin Kamara probably could've played against the Lions, but they held him out due to limited time on task," Nowak shared. "Sounds like he's got a good shot to play in Week 2."
There’s still no absolute guarantee Kamara suits up, but the direction here is clear: the Saints expect him to be in the mix for this matchup.
That matters because New Orleans already had an uneven rotation in the opener. Travis Etienne Jr., the new big-money free agent pickup, handled nine carries for 46 yards and also drew seven of nine targets for 32 yards. Keandre Miller matched him with nine rushes and finished with 30 yards and a touchdown, while CJ Donaldson added two carries for four yards.
Kamara’s presence would most likely be felt most in the passing game, where the Saints may lean on him once he’s active. Donaldson caught one of two targets for negative two yards, and if Kamara is available, Etienne’s nine-target workload figures to come down.
That could be especially important in a Week 2 game that figures to be tougher against Baltimore. If the Saints find themselves chasing points, they may have to throw more often again - but not to the same extreme as last week, when Tyler Shough attempted 56 passes against Detroit. Kamara, assuming he plays, should be part of that passing-down answer.
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