The NFL announced that New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara has been suspended for the first three weeks of the 2023 NFL season on Friday afternoon. A suspension was expected after Kamara was arrested and charged with assaulting a man at a Las Vegas nightclub before the 2022 NFL Pro Bowl. The Alvin Kamara suspension means big things for his backups, Jamaal Williams and Kendre Miller, and for the three teams that he won’t be available to play against.
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Alvin Kamara Suspension: Two Backups, Three Teams Win Big
Alvin Kamara’s Backups to See Larger Role
The New Orleans Saints may have a worse running back room without Kamara, but they still have some talented players to pick up the slack. The Saints picked up Jamaal Williams from the Detroit Lions in the offseason, and they drafted Kendre Miller out of TCU in the third round of the 2023 NFL Draft.
Williams was expected to serve as the backup to D’Andre Swift last year, but he functionally took Swift’s job. Williams racked up a monstrous 1,066 rushing yards and 17 rushing touchdowns behind Detroit’s ferocious offensive line, often picking up 1- or 2-yard touchdowns with their help. Williams was also an efficient rusher and earned an impressive PFF grade of 73.4.
Miller, a rookie, has missed time with an injury this offseason but was healthy in time for the start of training camp. The Saints coaching staff “threw him into the fire,” putting him on an accelerated timetable to prepare him for the first few weeks of the NFL season, during which he’ll likely have to play a larger role than later in the year. Miller recorded 1,399 rushing yards and 17 total touchdowns with the Horned Frogs in 2022.
Suspension Benefits Titans, Panthers & Packers
The New Orleans Saints are scheduled to open the year by hosting the Tennessee Titans. They’ll then visit the Carolina Panthers and Green Bay Packers. The Saints are favored over the Titans by a field goal at the moment, but they may see themselves listed as road underdogs once the odds for their Week 2 and 3 games open.
The three direct beneficiaries of the Alvin Kamara suspension — the Titans, Panthers and Packers — combined to go a mediocre 22-29 last season. At 7-10, the Titans and Panthers recorded the same record that the Saints did last season. However, the Panthers, Saints and Packers all made big changes in the offseason — New Orleans added quarterback Derek Carr, while Carolina drafted rookie quarterback Bryce Young. Green Bay traded Aaron Rodgers and will start Jordan Love.
While Kamara’s suspension doesn’t guarantee a win for any of the three teams that will take on the Saints without him, it certainly helps. Kamara recorded an impressive PFF grade of 72.4 last year. He started 13 games and picked up 897 rushing yards, 490 receiving yards and four total touchdowns. While the Saints have players capable of picking up the slack, they’ll start the season pressed for depth at running back.
