The New Orleans Saints are at a point where injured players should rest their bodies, because the team doesn’t have much to play for collectively. That sentiment applies to Derek Carr and Chris Olave, but it doesn’t apply to Alvin Kamara.
What makes Kamara different? Kamara is 50 yards away from his first season with 1,000 rushing yards. He has a clear and valuable objective he can hit. Carr’s version of that would have been playing the Las Vegas Raiders this week.
Darren Rizzi told reporters the running back has “a very realistic shot” at playing next week, and that Kamara has the mindset of wanting to get back on the field.
Kamara has been one of the best running backs in the NFL, but that century mark has eluded him. He deserves every chance to hit that number. 50 yards is attainable. If he is healthy enough to play against the Buccaneers, Kamara should play. Those last 50 yards should be a priority for New Orleans.