There was a time not that long ago when Alvin Kamara was, arguably, the most dangerous dual threat running back in the NFL. In each of his first four seasons, he averaged over 4.5 yards per carry, caught over 80 passes and topped 1,300 total yards. In three of those seasons, he eclipsed 1,500 total yards and/or scored at least 13 touchdowns.
Just before that fourth season, the Saints handed Kamara a five-year extension that averaged a whopping $15 million a season. Among NFL running backs, only Christian McCaffrey of the San Francisco 49ers has a higher average annual salary.
Kamara was one of the highest-profile backs in the NFL and a star in fantasy football and in video games.
The last two seasons have been a different story, though. The yardage has still been there—Kamara has yet to come up short of that 1,300-yard mark in the pros. But in each of the past two seasons, he has failed to exceed four yards a carry. His reception numbers have plummeted as well—after 83 grabs in 2020, he has just 104 catches the past two seasons combined.
Again, those numbers aren't bad. And part of the slide can be attributed to a change in offensive scheme. But Kamara's 1,565 career touches appear to be catching up to him. He looks to have lost a step, and he broke just seven tackles all season long last year—32nd among running backs.
With the Saints adding veteran Jamaal Williams and rookie Kendre Miller in the offseason and Kamara potentially looking at a personal conduct suspension after an offseason assault arrest, it's fair to wonder how much longer the Saints will keep paying a player whose production is in decline $15 million a year.
Other Overrated Running Backs: Joe Mixon, Cincinnati Bengals; Najee Harris, Pittsburgh Steelers
