The New Orleans Saints’ running back picture got a lot murkier when Alvin Kamara went down, and the timing could hardly be worse for a team already dealing with a rough offseason on the injury front.
Kamara is expected to miss at least a month, and while the injury does not appear to be season-ending, it still threatens to cut into the opening stretch of the year. The Saints had hoped to pair Kamara with Travis Etienne, so losing him now takes some of the shine off what looked like a promising backfield setup.
That absence also throws the Saints’ roster battle into sharper focus. Training camp has already featured a competition for the final running back spots, and New Orleans is likely to carry four backs into the season. With Kamara sidelined, the door opens wider for the rest of the group.
The names in that mix are Devin Neal, Kendre Miller, Audric Estime, Ty Chandler, and CJ Donaldson. Miller, Neal, and Estime stand out as the likeliest candidates. Miller’s ability is not in question, Neal was picked by this coaching staff last season, and Estime has been viewed as a useful depth option.
But the problem is health. Miller has battled injury issues, Neal missed the rest of last season and has been dealing with another injury in camp, and Estime is currently working through the injury he suffered in the first preseason game. That uncertainty could create a lane for Chandler.
Chandler helped his case against the Jacksonville Jaguars last week with a strong special teams return, something the Saints could use more of after special teams was a major weakness last season. The question is whether that kind of value is enough to justify a roster spot at running back.
For now, it all comes back to the health of Miller, Neal, and Estime. On paper, that group is strong. In practice, the Saints’ backfield could be reshaped quickly if the injuries keep piling up.
In Other News...
Saints Fine Print On Chris Olave Deal Changes The Bigger Picture
Chris Olaves new extension gave the Saints one of their most important young players a long-term financial home, but the fine print shows how carefully the team had to handle the deal. New Orleans worked out a four-year extension worth $124 million, with up to $90 million in injury guarantees, after already exercising his fifth-year option for 2026. The contract locks in a receiver the Saints clearly value, while also reflecting the reality that his recent medical history is part of every conversation around him.
The clause in the deal gives the Saints a path to void injury guarantees if Olave is no longer cleared to play because of concussions or respiratory pulmonary embolism, two issues he has dealt with before. He was cleared for training camp before agreeing to the extension, which helped move the process forward, but the language underscores how much caution still surrounds one of the team's top offensive pieces. For New Orleans, the commitment is substantial, and so is the protection built into it. [Read more 🡒]
Saints Depth Battle Just Got Tougher At The Worst Time
The Saints depth chart took another hit this week as running back Ty Chandler and tight end Moliki Matavao were both placed on injured reserve after suffering knee injuries in the preseason game against the Rams. Both players had been in the thick of the roster competition, trying to make their case in a crowded camp as New Orleans sorts out the bottom of the roster ahead of cutdown day.
Rejzohn Wright had already landed on injured reserve earlier in the week, leaving the Saints to juggle one more round of attrition at exactly the wrong time. Because players placed on injured reserve before final roster cuts are not eligible to return this season, the injuries effectively ended both Chandler and Matavaos chances of making an impact in 2026, turning a depth battle into a search for replacements. [Read more 🡒]
Saints Trade Hints At A Bigger Backfield Problem Than Fans Knew
As the preseason winds down, the Saints and 49ers found a way to turn two roster bubbles into a rare late-summer swap. New Orleans is bringing in running back Zamir White while sending linebacker Deion Jones to San Francisco, a deal that helps both clubs navigate injuries and gives each player a cleaner path to either a roster spot or a practice squad role.
For the Saints, the move is a reminder that the backfield picture may have been shakier than it looked on the surface. White arrives with a chance to compete in a room that needed more answers, and the trade suggests New Orleans was willing to act before the cutdown crunch made those decisions for them. Jones, meanwhile, was likely headed toward release as well, which is why this reads less like a splashy transaction and more like two teams quietly solving a problem at the same time. [Read more 🡒]