Saints' Alvin Kamara Suffered Sprained Ankle Injury in Win vs. Mayfield, Buccaneers

New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara was ruled out for the remainder of Sunday's game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after suffering an ankle injury.

Head coach Dennis Allen told reporters after the game that Kamara was diagnosed with a sprained ankle, although the coach didn't specify the magnitude of the injury.

Kamara had run for 45 yards on 10 carries and caught two passes for four yards before exiting.

He entered the 2023 season in reasonable jeopardy of this being his last season in New Orleans. He has not been the same player as a runner or receiver since Drew Brees' retirement following the 2020 season, seeing a marked decline in yards per carry, rushing touchdowns and his performance as a pass catcher.

The 28-year-old rushed for 897 yards and a career-low two touchdowns in 2022. The arrival of Derek Carr is expected to help bounce Kamara's counting stats back up into first-round fantasy relevance, but he's reaching the age and workload total that typically coincides with a downturn among running backs.

Kamara has been largely stellar as a pass catcher out of the backfield and a workhorse in the lineup for New Orleans this season. Entering Sunday, he had posted 649 rushing yards and five touchdowns on the ground while adding 73 catches for 462 yards and one score as a receiver.

Jamaal Williams is a quality short-yardage back who scored 17 times last season, though he was averaging just three yards per carry with New Orleans to this point in the year.

Losing Kamara is a tough blow for the Saints as they attempt to come out on top in a hard-fought NFC South title race.