New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara didn’t have his best season in 2023, finishing with some of the worst numbers of his pro career. Due to this, NFL Network’s Maurice Jones-Drew ranked Kamara as the 26th running back in the league out of 32 starters, which is still an eye-opening statement.
But here’s what Jones-Drew wrote to back up his claim:
“Alvin Kamara had one of his worst statistical seasons in 2023, in part due to his early-season suspension, and because he missed the final week with an ankle injury. Even when he was on the field, he wasn’t all that efficient in the run game, posting his second sub-4.0 yard-per-carry mark for a season in his career. Another factor: The offense spent a lot of 2023 out of sync and struggled to sustain drives.”
Jones-Drew is correct to point out Kamara’s missed games while also pointing out Kamara’s subpar averages. Kamara averaged his second-fewest yards per carry (3.9) and posted the lowest yards per catch (6.2) of his career. There hasn’t been a lot going right around Kamara and it has significantly hindered Kamara’s production. Some of that is to be expected as he ages and the wear and tear of life in the NFL stacks up, but some of the blame should go to his coaches’ uncreative play calling, too.
Hopefully 2024 can be a bounce-back year for Kamara. He’s working with a quarterback who is all too eager to throw to his running backs in Derek Carr and that alone should help him get more touches than we’ve seen as of late. With that said, it’s also important for the Saints to invest in a better backup plan in case Kamara continues to regress or miss more time.
