The New Orleans Saints offense has done enough to win five straight games, even without being at full strength. For the last few years, their system has been built around three superstar talents: quarterback Drew Brees, running back Alvin Kamara, and wide receiver Michael Thomas. But injuries have put Brees on the sidelines, and Kamara ended up joining him after ankle and knee injuries piled up. Fortunately, the Saints have enjoyed the benefits of great depth in backups like Teddy Bridgewater and Latavius Murray.
Now, it’s looking like Brees is close to making his return; possibly as soon as next Sunday against the Arizona Cardinals. He was a limited participant on the Saints injury report for Wednesday, their first of the week, and Saints coach Sean Payton said Brees may end up being a game-time decision if he continues to progress from thumb surgery.
While Kamara did not practice on Wednesday, Payton suggested he could also make his return soon, depending on how he responds to rest and treatment from Saints medical staff. Payton discussed Kamara’s status during a Wednesday conference call with Arizona media.
“We’ll keep you posted,” Payton said. “Day to day here, and he’ll be much like Drew. We’ll see how much he can do this week. We’d love to have him back as soon as possible. He’s a real good player for us.”
Calling Kamara “a real good player” might be the understatement of the year. While Murray was impressive in his start against the Chicago Bears, Kamara has joined rare company since taking the league by storm in 2017. Few players can rival his ability to evade and shake off tackles any time he touches the ball, whether it’s as a runner or receiver. If the Saints can work him back into the offense with Brees before their Week 9 bye, they could set themselves up for huge success during the second half of the season.
