The Saints’ Alvin Kamara probably won’t play, and Spencer Rattler will start against the Packers

The New Orleans Saints have suffered another blow to their offense as running back Alvin Kamara is unlikely to play on Monday of Week 16 against the Packers in Green Bay because of a groin injury, interim coach Darren Rizzi said Thursday.

Meanwhile, Rizzi said rookie Spencer Rattler will start again at quarterback for the injured Derek Carr (hand) if Carr is unable to play against the Packers.

Kamara left the Saints’ Week 15 loss to Washington in the second half. He was the most stable player on the team’s offense in 2024, with 950 rushing yards and six touchdowns as well as 68 receptions for 548 yards and three touchdowns.

This only adds to the list of injured skill position players, with Taysom Hill, Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed missing from the Saints’ offensive lineup due to injury.

Rattler, the 2024 fifth-round pick, will take over after Jake Haener struggled in his first NFL start against the Washington Commanders last week. Rattler replaced Haener early in the second half and nearly helped the Saints pull off an upset before falling 20-19. Rattler started three games earlier this season after reinjuring Carr. The team went 0-3 during Rattler’s starts.

What’s next for Kamara?

Kamara has fully earned the contract extension he received at the start of this season, showing that there is still a lot left in the tank for the veteran tailback. In an offense that was largely stagnant in 2024, the 2017 third-round pick provided as much firepower as anyone on the Saints’ offense. The Saints will rely more heavily on second-round running back Kendre Miller as long as Kamara misses time, which could potentially be the case for the rest of the season. But Kamara should remain a focal point for the Saints offense next season.

Expectations of Rattler

I know Saints fans are happy to have Rattler take over as the starter instead of Haener. Rattler brought the juice he needed in Week 15, even if he still looked pretty erratic at times. Haener had nothing to do with playing after a terrible first half, so turning to Rattler makes perfect sense. But there’s no doubt that Saints fans are hoping Rattler will make a strong impression in his second run as a starter. However, Rattler faces a difficult task in Green Bay on Monday. But with games remaining against the Las Vegas Raiders and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, perhaps Rattler can show some improvement.

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(Photo: Jonathan Bachman / Getty Images)