Alvin Kamara Being Called Saints’ ‘Most Disappointing’ Player Is Off Base

The New Orleans Saints are 1-6 on the season so clearly there are a lot of things that could be better about the campaign.

While this is the case, that doesn't mean that all of the criticism is warranted. One example of this is the fact that Bleacher Report's Brad Gagnon wrote up a column highlighting the "most disappointing" player for each team so far. For New Orleans, they gave the crown to Alvin Kamara.

"New Orleans Saints: RB Alvin Kamara," Gagnon said. "The five-time Pro Bowler has seen his yards-per-attempt average drop from 4.2 in 2024 to 3.6 in 2025, and he's found the end zone just once in seven games. He may be reaching the end at the age of 30."

Alvin Kamara isn't New Orleans' "most disappointing" player

Oct 19, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara (41) rushes the ball against the Chicago Bears during the first quarter at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Mike Dinovo-Imagn Images | Mike Dinovo-Imagn Images

It's true that Kamara's numbers aren't as prolific as you'd likely expect, but that stat doesn't tell the whole story. Kamara's usage has been down so far this season for New Orleans. Last year, he averaged 16.3 rushing attempts per game, that number is down to 13.4 attempts per game. The yards per attempt surely is down (4.2 to 3.6) and so is his rushing yards per game (67.9 rushing yards per game last year to 48.9 rushing yards per game this year). Last year's rushing yards per game metric was actually the second-highest of Kamara's career. The 48.9 rushing yards per game is closer to his mark in 2023 at 53.4 rushing yards per game.

Some of this could be explained by more opportunities for Kendre Miller, who was playing well before going down for the season with a torn ACL. This upcoming weekend, we should start to see more usage for Kamara and then it will be a better comparison. The usage cannot be controlled by Kamara.

Kamara has always been known not just for his rushing, but his ability in the passing game. Arguably, the biggest difference in Kamara's game this year has been the usage there. His career average is 40 receiving yards per game. Last year, Kamara averaged 6.3 targets per game. This year, that number is 4.14 and he's averaging 17.6 receiving yards per game. He's not being utilized in the passing game and then that has arguably impacted every other part of his game.

Even with that being said, in a season in which the Saints are 1-6, it's hard to believe Kamara has been the "most disappointing" player. His numbers aren't where you'd expect -- although the usage isn't in his control -- but still, this seems like a stretch.

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