The New Orleans Saints made the tough choice to place Travis Etienne on the Injury Reserve (IR) list. This means their main running back will be sidelined for more than four games, so Alvin Kamara should see a bigger role.
The positive thing for Kamara and the Saints is that, while Etienne was the starter, Kamara and Kendre Miller also saw snaps. The offense was operating as a three-headed committee. This is the depth chart without Etienne:
- Alvin Kamara
- Kendre Miller
- CJ Donaldson
Kamara is now the clear-cut guy despite the committee
While Miller will get his fair share of snaps, Kamara is the more polished running back. Also, Kamara is elite in the passing game, so he will be used more in play-action or checkdowns option.
Breaking: The Saints are placing RB Travis Etienne Jr. on injured reserve due to his hamstring injury. pic.twitter.com/Euo4PZWla9
— ESPN (@espn) October 1, 2026
Hence, even if he won’t be a workhorse, Kamara is the guy the Saints will predominantly trust their veteran to produce in key moments of the game. It’s also worth mentioning that the Saints are a pass-happy offense with quarterback Tyler Shough leading the NFL in both pass attempts (132) and pass completions (91).
Kamara is a different kind of RB
Kamara is not the most explosive back out there. He leans towards patience, huge ability to stay on his feet and balance out of contact. He won’t explode for a huge run, and he won’t juke anyone out of their feet, but he will get plays going.
Kendre Miller is more of a blend of physical, downhill running and surprising lateral agility. Hence, he complements Kamara’s skillset to make the Saints’ running game one that is very effective.
Key takeaways
- Travis Etienne was placed on the Injured Reserve list, sidelining him for four games.
- Saints quarterback Tyler Shough leads the NFL with 132 pass attempts.
- Kendre Miller complements the backfield with a blend of physical, downhill running.
