This is something to monitor: rookie New Orleans Saints running back Kendre Miller was spotted leaving the blue medical tent for the locker room without his helmet. He also wasn’t wearing a shoe on his left foot, which suggests the source of the injury.
Teams are not required to file in-game injury reports during the preseason (nor are they asked to announce lists of inactive players before kickoff), so we’ll have to wait for official word on his status.
But the Saints can’t take many more hits at running back. They lost veteran backup Eno Benjamin for the year with an Achilles injury in training camp. Another reserve, former wide receiver Kirk Merritt, was unavailable to play Sunday with a groin injury. Jamaal Williams was already retired on the afternoon, meaning Miller’s exit from the game left just one running back still dressed out: undrafted rookie Ellis Merriweather.
Hopefully Miller won’t be out of action for any great length of time (though it’s worth remembering he was held out of most of the offseason program while recovering from a knee injury). Alvin Kamara is going to be unavailable for the first three games while serving an NFL-mandated suspension. If Miller is going to miss more time, the Saints may need to make running back more of a priority as they scour the free agent market.
Update: After the game, head coach Dennis Allen said that Miller was dealing with a sprained MCL. His last season at TCU ended with a meniscus injury to his right knee, but it appears he injured his left knee this time. Stay tuned for updates.
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