Alvin Kamara admits to playing through a ‘torn’ knee last season

New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara admitted to playing through a “torn” knee for most of 2019.

New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara said Monday that he played through a “torn” knee for most of the 2019 season, per Saints reporter Nick Underhill, potentially explaining some of his struggles after entering the year with high expectations.

Kamara said that the tear occurred in Week 6 against the Jacksonville Jaguars, and a look at his 2019 game log shows the injury clearly hindered him. The Pro Bowler missed the next two games and never eclipsed 14 carries the rest of the season, splitting time with Latavius Murray.

While Kamara did not specify exactly what he tore, the injury prevented him from taking on featured back duties in 2019 but it didn’t require surgery. In his first season without Mark Ingram, he was expected to establish himself as a dual-threat back much in the same way that Christian McCaffrey did last season.

Kamara still reached the Pro Bowl, tallying over 1,300 scrimmage yards, but started just nine games and appeared in 14. His struggles finding the end zone were especially frustrating for Saints fans and fantasy owners. After scoring double-digit touchdowns in his first two seasons, the Tennessee alum reached pay dirt just six times in 2019.

After an offseason of rest, Kamara should be ready to rebound in 2020, assuming that the season goes as planned. The fourth-year back is one of the NFL’s best pass-catchers out of the backfield and has given Drew Brees an elite safety valve in recent years.

Entering a contract year, Kamara certainly needs to recapture his 2017 and 2018 form. The free agency market is already difficult for running backs, and the coronavirus pandemic figures to create uncertainty surrounding the salary cap. If the 25-year-old is injured again in 2020 or struggles with a heavy workload, the Saints could have a tough decision to make.