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Alvin Kamara has officially been suspended for the first three games of the 2023 NFL season for violating the personal conduct policy. This comes as a result of his involvement in an off-field altercation in Las Vegas around the time of the Pro Bowl in February.
While he avoided serious legal charges in court, the NFL still decided to punish him.
The suspension puts the New Orleans Saints in a bit of a difficult spot for their running back position this season. In an effort to address it, the franchise is reportedly bringing in free agent Kareem Hunt to explore the possibility of signing him to a new contract.
Hunt has spent the past four seasons with the Cleveland Browns, mostly serving as their RB2 behind Nick Chubb. Hunt earned $13.25 million during his time in Cleveland.
He previously spent two years with the Kansas City Chiefs, where he once led the entire NFL in rushing yards during his rookie season. He has been a free agent during the 2023 NFL offseason so far, but now has an opportunity to potentially join the Saints.
With Saints targeting Kareem Hunt, what does New Orleans' running back depth chart look like for 2023?
The New Orleans Saints signed Jamaal Williams during the 2023 free agency to join Alvin Kamara in their backfield. Williams led all players with 17 rushing touchdowns last year with the Detroit Lions. He will likely be named the starter in Kamara's absence.
Two rookies, Kendre Miller and Ellis Merriweather, are the only other running backs on the Saints' current roster. They also added veteran Eno Benjamin in free agency, but he recently suffered a season-ending Achilles injury during training camp.
With Alvin Kamara set to serve a suspension, it makes sense that they are targeting a player like Kareem Hunt to add reliable depth. He can potentially share the workload while creating a solid running backs committee in New Orleans.
Kareem Hunt's injury history in the spotlight
Kareem Hunt has managed to stay relatively healthy during his NFL career so far, especially for a running back. While he has been listed on the injury report several times, he's only once been forced to miss any games due to injuries.
This occurred during the 2021 NFL season with the Cleveland Browns when a calf injury caused him to miss five games.
When will Alvin Kamara be back? Saints' Kareem Hunt chase could be for a short-lived role
Alvin Kamara will be officially eligible to return to the New Orleans Saints in Week 4 of the 2023 NFL season after serving a three-game suspension. That is unless the franchise decides to add another suspension of its own, which is unlikely.
He will be required to miss games against the Tennessee Titans, Carolina Panthers, and Green Bay Packers. He's first eligible to play against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
