The New Orleans Saints are getting Alvin Kamara back, but head coach Kellen Moore does not sound interested in simply handing the entire backfield back to him.
Kamara’s return adds another proven option to a running back room that showed its depth without him in Week 1. Travis Etienne Jr. carried nine times for 46 yards and caught seven passes for another 32 yards against the Detroit Lions, while Kendre Miller added 30 rushing yards and a touchdown on nine carries. With Kamara rejoining that group, Moore now has a good problem to solve.
When asked how the Saints would handle the increasingly crowded depth chart, Moore made it clear that the answer could change from one opponent to the next.
“Yeah, we’ll work through that each week,” Moore said. “Each week will take its course depending on the game plan and the matchups. Again, this is kind of how we viewed it going into this. We’ve got a lot of depth in that running back room.”
Kellen Moore Leaves Door Open on Alvin Kamara’s Role
The interesting part of Moore’s answer was not that Kamara will have a role. That was never really in question. It was Moore’s decision to immediately mention the Saints’ other backs and frame the workload as something that could be determined by matchups rather than a permanent depth-chart order.
New Orleans entered the season knowing Kamara and Etienne could give the offense two experienced, versatile options out of the backfield. Etienne’s Week 1 performance gave the coaching staff more evidence that it does not necessarily have to rely on one featured back every Sunday.
“It was a really competitive room throughout training camp, and we’re going to need all these guys,” Moore said. “Obviously, Alvin will play a really valuable role this week, just like Travis will, and we’ll go from there.”
Saints Could Let Matchups Decide Running Back Hierarchy
That final part is what Saints fans should watch closely. Moore did not say Etienne would return to a secondary role simply because Kamara is available, and he did not outline a specific workload for either veteran.
Instead, the Saints appear prepared to treat their backfield as a weekly puzzle. Against one defense, Kamara’s receiving ability could make him the centerpiece. Against another, Etienne’s versatility or Miller’s running style could create a better matchup.
Kamara remains one of the most accomplished offensive players in franchise history, so his return gives New Orleans another major weapon. Etienne, however, already showed he can handle meaningful rushing and receiving work when given the opportunity.
For Moore, there may not be one permanent answer. The Saints have several capable running backs, and his comments suggest the distribution of touches could become one of the more interesting weekly decisions surrounding New Orleans’ offense.
Saints’ Kellen Moore Makes Telling Alvin Kamara Admission After Return