The New Orleans Saints got solid production from a new source in Week 8. Fully ramped up, young running back Kendre Miller looked healthy and ran well. He handled just three carries, but he averaged 5.3 yards per rush.
Miller also had a long run called back due to penalty. You could tell that he gave a jolt to the offense, and he also allowed Alvin Kamara to get some time to recover on the sideline.
Kamara has been a workhorse RB all season, so adding Miller to the mix was important for a multitude of reasons.
Miller missed the first six games of the season due to a hamstring injury. Over the past couple weeks, New Orleans has worked him back into their offense. That goes on pause once again after their latest loss, though.
Kendre Miller suffers another injury
According to Saints head coach Dennis Allen, Miller's new hamstring injury is to his other hamstring from the one he had an issue with this offseason.
The timing is extremely tough for both the player and the team. New Orleans was just starting to get healthier on both sides of the ball. Miller only played in eight games as a rookie in 2023, so it seems that availability could be a concern going forward for the young RB.
Miller has clear potential, and his coaches have noted that since he was drafted. That being said, staying healthy has been a rough proposition. This latest injury may be the most frustrating of his pro career so far after some success in recent weeks.
We will see if New Orleans decides to bring back running back Jordan Mims, who they released before their Week 8 game against the Chargers. His release shed a positive light on their confidence in Miller and the depth at RB.
Of course, that can quickly change, and that was the case in Sunday's loss. Expect updates on Miller's status this week as he tries to get back to 100% once again.
