Saints' Star Running Back Misses Another Practice

The New Orleans Saints are fighting to stay alive in the NFC, and they may have hit an unexpected snag with their biggest star. Running back Alvin Kamara missed his second straight practice with an illness, casting doubt over his availability for Week 12's matchup with the San Francisco 49ers.

#Saints Thursday Injury Report#NOvsSF | @LaMachinery https://t.co/ODYEqNUcii
— New Orleans Saints (@Saints) November 24, 2022

Kamara played a relatively typical number of snaps in the Saints' Week 11 27-20 win over the Los Angeles Rams, so his ailment appears to be a recent development. He totalled 89 yards from scrimmage in the game.

If Kamara is available for Sunday's game against the 49ers, fans will be treated to a battle between two of the league's deadliest receiving backs. Kamara has averaged an amazing 44.5 receiving yards per game and 6.8 yards per target over his career, and 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey is even better with 51.1 and 6.9 marks over his 68 appearances. If Kamara misses the contest, the Saints could easily lose their eighth game of the season and fall out of the playoff chase.

Kamara initially joined the Saints as their 67th overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft. He immediately flashed game-breaking potential as a runner and receiver out of the backfield, totalling 1554 yards from scrimmage on only 201 touches and earning Offensive Rookie of the Year honors. He went on to make the Pro Bowl in each of his first five seasons.