It may not be curtains just yet for former New Orleans Saints running back Darren Sproles. He’s looking for one more season in the NFL after playing for the Philadelphia Eagles the last few years, but it’s an uphill climb for him following several serious recent injuries and his 36th birthday celebration earlier in June.
Sproles posted a video of himself catching passes from Saints quarterback Drew Brees and former Saints backup Chase Daniel (now with the Chicago Bears) to his official Instagram account, which was shared across other social media platforms. He’s one of several players Brees often works out with during the offseason, so this isn’t a new development. It is interesting that Sproles is taking the extra step to publicize his involvement.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported in May that Sproles would like to rejoin one of his previous teams — the Eagles, Saints, or Los Angeles Chargers — for one last chance at winning a Super Bowl in 2019. However, Schefter speculated that Sproles isn’t in much of a hurry, and would prefer to wait until after teams have met for training camp to make a decision (assuming he even gets any offers). Veteran players will not report to Saints training camp until July 25, so there’s something of a loose timetable in play.
Bringing Sproles back could end up being a brilliant move for New Orleans. They don’t have anyone who shares Alvin Kamara’s skills on passing downs as a receiver or route-runner, which is fine if he’s able to play a full 16-game season. Heaven forbid something happen to him, but if Kamara ends up missing significant time a large chunk of the Saints playbook becomes obsolete. Adding a receiving-specialist in Sproles to add some security behind Kamara on the depth chart could be a low-cost signing that pays back big dividends for the Saints down the stretch, if they choose to do it.
