Category: Alvin Kamara

VOTE: Alvin Kamara up for FedEx Ground NFL Player of the Year

New Orleans Saints RB Alvin Kamara has been nominated for the 2020 FedEx Ground NFL Player of the Year award after his record-setting season

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New Orleans Saints fans have an opportunity to vote for Alvin Kamara to win the 2020 FedEx Ground NFL Player of the Year award. He’s a candidate alongside Minnesota Vikings rusher Dalvin Cook and Tennessee Titans running back Derrick Henry.

Kamara, who led the league in scrimmage touchdowns (21) and ranked third with 1,688 scrimmage yards (932 rushing, 756 receiving), won recognition as the NFC Offensive Player of the Week for his six-touchdown performance against the Vikings on Christmas Day.

Voting will be conducted at NFL.com/FedEx until Tuesday, Feb. 2 at 2 p.m. CT, as well as the NFL Mobile App and official polls from the NFL on Twitter. The winner will be announced at this year’s NFL Honors event on Saturday, Feb. 6.

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Alvin Kamara sends Christmas Day cleats, notice for $5K fine to Hall of Fame

New Orleans Saints RB Alvin Kamara sent his jersey, cleats, and NFL fine notice to the Pro Football Hall of Fame after a record-tying game.

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The NFL fined Alvin Kamara $5,000 for wearing unapproved cleats during his big win over the Minnesota Vikings on Christmas Day, in which the New Orleans Saints running back went with a festive pair of red and green shoes to celebrate the holiday. And he ran for six touchdowns in that game, tying a 91-year old NFL record along the way.

So the uniform violations fine wasn’t exactly welcome news. And Kamara isn’t letting anyone forget it, having included the letter from the league office in a shipment to the Pro Football Hall of Fame featuring other previous cargo, including the infamous cleats. He’s also sending his jersey from the game and the footballs he carried into the end zone for his fifth and sixth touchdown runs for enshrinement in Canton.

The gesture’s a fun dig from Kamara, but it’s worth remembering just how impressive his season has been. He’s scored 58 touchdowns in 60 games played with the Saints through his still-young career (excluding the playoffs), ranking him second-best in team history. Only standout wide receiver Marques Colston ranks above him, with 72 touchdowns recorded in 146 games. If Kamara keeps up the pace, he’ll own the franchise record for touchdowns scored before we know it. This probably isn’t the last time he’ll be sending some gear to the Hall of Fame.

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Saints lose most of their RB’s as high-risk close contacts after Alvin Kamara tests positive

The New Orleans Saints will lose most of their running backs room as high-risk close contacts after Alvin Kamara tests positive for COVID-19

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The hits keep coming for the New Orleans Saints, who won’t have most of their running backs available for Sunday’s regular season finale with the Carolina Panthers. After Alvin Kamara tested positive for COVID-19, several players were ruled out as high-risk close contacts to him: Latavius Murray, Dwayne Washington, and fullback Michael Burton, as well as running backs coach Joel Thomas. None of them will travel with the team for a road game with Carolina.

Fox Sports’ Jay Glazer first reported the absences, which was confirmed by ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Kamara is the only confirmed positive case out of the group, so he’s in quarantine away from the team for 10 days (eligible to return Sunday, Jan. 10). If the others continue to test negative, they can return after spending 5 days away from the team (on Tuesday, Jan. 5).

The only running backs the Saints will have available against the Panthers are backup Ty Montgomery and rookie Tony Jones Jr., who will be called up from the practice squad. Montgomery is a former wide receiver and splits time with that position group, so he likely wasn’t around Kamara often enough to be deemed a high-risk close contact.

So at least the Saints will have someone with NFL experience in the backfield, even if Montgomery only has a single rushing attempt this season (which he lost 4 yards on; he’s also caught a pair of passes for 25 yards). He’s averaged 4.6 yards per carry in his 63-game pro career, running 225 times with the Green Bay Packers, Baltimore Ravens, and New York Jets before joining the Saints this year.

As for Jones: the rookie appeared in 37 games at Notre Dame, logging 271 rushing attempts for 1,481 yards (5.5 yards a pop), with a dozen touchdown runs. But this will be his first game of the year, so it’s unclear how heavy a workload he’ll see or what he might be able to do with those opportunities.

Expect some carries for Taysom Hill, too. The Saints will have to get creative to keep their normally-strong ground game intact, even against a vulnerable defense like the Panthers’. They’ve been very diligent in the face of COVID-19’s challenges all year, but things are very close to falling apart at the worst possible time.

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NFL’s playoff scheduling may decide if Alvin Kamara can join Saints for first-round kickoff

The NFL’s playoff schedule for the wild-card round may determine if Alvin Kamara can join the New Orleans Saints after catching COVID-19.

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A confirmed positive COVID-19 test for New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara means he’s out of action for at least 10 days, including the final week of the regular season and the first leg of the upcoming NFL Wild-Card Round.

Because Kamara’s positive test sample was submitted on Thursday, Dec. 31, the 10-day window opened as soon as he reported to the facility for testing. Per NFL rules, the soonest he can return is Sunday, Jan. 10, and that’s only if he continues to remain asymptomatic while experiencing no symptoms. He would also need to test negative for several consecutive days before earning medical clearance.

That means he’s not a sure thing to join the Saints for the first round of the playoffs. Right now, the Saints are the projected No. 2 seed, which no longer enjoys the benefits of a bye week (thanks, playoff expansion. Real timely of you). They would be playing the No. 7 seed, but when that occurs is unclear.

And we won’t know until after Week 17’s games wrap up when exactly each playoff game is scheduled for kickoff. If the Saints draw a Saturday time slot, there’s no way Kamara is with them. But if they’re playing on Sunday instead, they at least have a chance of taking the field with their best player.

Sure, they’re mathematically alive in the hunt for the No. 1 seed and the sole remaining bye week. But they need a couple of breaks, like the Green Bay Packers losing to the Chicago Bears and the Seattle Seahawks winning against the San Francisco 49ers, to pull that off — in addition to defeating the Carolina Panthers on their own. The Saints intend to play their starters in Week 17 to pursue that chance, but the odds aren’t in their favor.

So here’s hoping for good luck for all involved, and good health for Kamara. It’s easy to lose sight of how seriously the coronavirus can impact people, even professional athletes. Maybe the new year can bring some good news to New Orleans in the days and weeks ahead.

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Alvin Kamara’s positive test confirmed, RB designated to COVID-19 reserve list

The New Orleans Saints designated RB Alvin Kamara to the NFL’s COVID-19 reserve list after he tested positive for the coronavirus.

The New Orleans Saints announced Friday that running back Alvin Kamara was placed on the NFL’s reserve/COVID-19 list, sidelining him for at least 10 days after testing positive for the coronavirus. The team’s best player is now ineligible to suit up for their Week 17 regular season finale and, depending on how the postseason schedule shakes out, the first round of the playoffs.

It’s a huge loss. They’ll now be leaning on backup running backs Latavius Murray and Ty Montgomery, as well as special teams ace Dwayne Washington. With the receiving corps hammered by injuries — starters Emmanuel Sanders and Marquez Callaway are both still in their firstย  year with the team — points could come at a premium on Sunday even against an undermanned Carolina Panthers defense.

But the real story here is the postseason. Kamara is probably a loss for the first round any way you slice it, and it’s kind of a long shot for the Saints to earn a valuable first-round bye (they would need to defeat the Panthers while the Green Bay Packers lose and the Seattle Seahawks win their respective games).

The NFL’s single-loss elimination format narrows the margin for error to an incredibly thin window, and Kamara’s absence means the Saints are in serious danger no matter who their opponent is: whether it’s the Bears, Los Angeles Rams, or Arizona Cardinals defense facing them, New Orleans will be effectively pitching left-handed.

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Alvin Kamara tests positive for COVID-19, awaiting second test’s confirmation

New Orleans Saints RB Alvin Kamara tested positive for COVID-19 and is waiting confirmation on results, which may shape the playoff picture.

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The New Orleans Saints were missing an important piece of their offense during Friday’s training session: running back Alvin Kamara, who was absent while waiting on results for a COVID-19 test. Kamara previously tested positive before receiving a second test, per Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football. Underhill added that Kamara has not yet exhibited any symptoms of an infection. NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero confirmed the news.

This is significant for a number of reasons, though the most important is obviously Kamara’s health and well-being. Any players designated to the league’s COVID-19 reserve list on Friday would miss the following Sunday’s Week 17 games, with doubts raised about their availability for the upcoming Wild Card Round of the playoffs.

If Kamara is confirmed to have tested positive, he would be forced to quarantine for 10 days — meaning the soonest he could return is Sunday, Jan. 10, possibly after the Saints have already finished playing on Saturday (the exact playoff schedule is yet to be decided). They’re already expecting to be without safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson, so it’s possible both the offense and the defense go into the playoffs without two of their best players.

For now, Kamara is waiting on the results from a second retest to confirm whether he has contracted the coronavirus. This is a developing story, so check back often for updates.

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No Fun League: Alvin Kamara receives uniform violations fine for festive cleats

New Orleans Saints RB Alvin Kamara hit received a $5,000 uniform violations fine for his festive Christmas Day cleats, worn in Week 16.

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You’re a mean one, Mr. Grinch. The NFL issued a $5,000 fine to New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara after he wore unapproved cleats in Week 16’s blockbuster win over the Minnesota Vikings — appropriate to the Christmas Day scheduling as his red-and-green ensemble may have been, the humorless worker drones in the league office didn’t hesitate to go after him, citing the NFL uniform violations policy.

NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero first reported news of the fine, which was confirmed by Nola.com’s Amie Just.

Ironically, highlights from Kamara’s all-time-great performance against Minnesota will probably be used for years to promote future NFL prime-time games. It’s not every day that someone scores half a dozen touchdowns in a single game, much less as a runner (it hadn’t happened in 91 years, for those keeping score at home). So either the NFL’s marketing department will have to crop out the offending footwear or blithely turn a blind eye to the hypocrisy of it all.

Anyway: this isn’t unexpected. Kamara said previously that he would accept whatever fine the league throws at him and match it in a charitable donation, so some good will come of it. Considering his efforts have already drawn over $21,000 for a charity close to him in thanks from Saints fans and fantasy football managers, well, it’s great to see Kamara embracing the spirit of the season.

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Saints RB Alvin Kamara named NFC Offensive Player of the Week

New Orleans Saints RB Alvin Kamara was named the NFC Offensive Player of the Week for Week 16 after stunning the Minnesota Vikings.

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It shouldn’t surprise anyone that Alvin Kamara has been recognized as the NFC Offensive Player of the Week for Week 16, but it’s still great to see the New Orleans Saints superstar getting his due credit. Kamara ran 22 times for 155 rushing yards, a new single-game high for him, but what really made headlines were his six rushing touchdowns (the most since the NFL-AFL merger, tying a 91-year old pro football record). He also caught a couple of passes for 17 receiving yards, but Kamara’s efforts on the ground were what made the highlight reel.

And it’s helped cap his first season with the Saints since signing a multiyear contract extension late in training camp. Kamara has rewarded the Saints with a career year. He’s already set new personal-bests in touchdowns scored (21) and yards gained from scrimmage (1,688), while averaging his strongest yards per touch (6.3) since his 2017 rookie year.

On top of that, he’s handled the football 270 times, just behind his previously highest workload (275 combined carries and catches, back in 2018). Kamara’s 932 rushing yards are a new high, and he needs 71 receiving yards to surpass the mark he set as a rookie (826).

He’s answered many of the questions asked of him, silencing the critics that wondered if he can shoulder a heavy workload and remain healthy, or even run effectively as the team’s go-to rusher rather than a complimentary weapon. The only real complaint may be that he’s snapped a unique three-year streak of catching exactly 81 passes each season, totaling 83 with a game left to play. And no one is seriously bemoaning that.

So take a bow, Alvin Kamara. He’s earned it. Let’s see what sort of encore he’s got in store for the playoffs.

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Alvin Kamara had the best reaction to possible Christmas Day uniform violations fine

New Orleans Saints RB Alvin Kamara is expecting a uniform violations fine from the NFL office for his festive Christmas Day cleats.

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Alvin Kamara reminded the football world that he’s one of the best players in the NFL by dashing for 155 rushing yards and six touchdown carries on Christmas day against the Minnesota Vikings. The New Orleans Saints star was the first person to achieve that many scoring runs since the NFL-AFL merger, joining an exclusive group of athletes to do so in pro football’s history.

So the Pro Football Hall of Fame is expected to ring Kamara soon, likely to put his festive red-and-green cleats on display in Canton, Ohio. But Kamara is expected the NFL’s strict uniform policy to hit him with a fine for violating the approved footwear rules first.

“Oh, they’re probably going to fine me,” Kamara shrugged during his postgame media availability. “If they fine me, whatever it is, I’ll just match it and donate it to charity. You know that the Grinch always tries to steal Christmas.”

Meanwhile, his teammate Cameron Jordan offered another suggestion after the record-setting performance: “Well, when the Hall of Fame calls to come get the cleats, now he’s just got to charge them,” Jordan smirked, “So he can break even.”

First-offense fines for violating the league uniform policy clock in at $5,000; subsequent violations total $10,000. Fines paid out for these violations are collected into foundations that benefit former players, so they’ll go to good to use. And as Kamara said, he plans to match any potential fine with his own charitable donation. After signing a $75 million contract extension earlier this year (which arguably still leaves him underpaid relative to his performance), Kamara can afford it.

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Alvin Kamara ties 91-year old record with 6 touchdowns in a single game

New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara tied a 91-year old pro football record for the most touchdowns scored in a single game.

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Merry Christmas, Alvin Kamara. The New Orleans Saints running back hit the end zone six times in Friday’s Week 16 victory over the Minnesota Vikings. That ties a record that predates the NFL-AFL merger, stretching back to 1929 — when Ernie Nevers scored six times for the Chicago Cardinals. NFL legends Gayle Sayers and Dub Jones also hit the half-dozen mark over the years, putting Kamara in the rarest of company.

It fueled the Saints to a 52-33 final score, the most points the Vikings have allowed in a game since 1963. Yeah, not too shabby.

Kamara finished the day with 22 carries for 155 rushing yards, a clip of 7.0 yards per attempt. He also went 3-for-5 as a receiver, gaining another 17 yards through the air. A just-off-the-mark pass from Drew Brees bounced off his hands in the red zone, taking away what could have been a seventh score.

So he’ll just have to settle for six. I’m sure he’ll be upset about that going into the long break before Week 17’s regular season finale.

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