After Alvin Kamara had a relatively light workload in the Saints' Week 1 win over the Falcons, coach Dennis Allen revealed the star running back suffered a rib injury in Sunday's opener. Now, New Orleans has added insurance at the position ahead of Week 2, re-signing veteran Latavius Murray to the practice squad Tuesday. The 32-year-old Murray, last seen with the Ravens in 2021, previously spent two years with the Saints as Kamara's primary backup.
Allen did not express concern for Kamara's immediate availability following Sunday's win, indicating to reporters that he expected the Pro Bowler to be ready for this Sunday's game against the Buccaneers. Before reuniting with Murray, however, the Saints were short on healthy alternatives. Besides Kamara, No. 3 back Dwayne Washington is on the injury report with a neck issue that's slated to sideline him for a second straight game, leaving only Mark Ingram and Tony Jones Jr. as active reserves.
Please check the opt-in box to acknowledge that you would like to subscribe.
Sorry! There was an error processing your subscription.
Murray, meanwhile, offers lots of experience as an emergency starter. Since entering the NFL as a sixth-round draft pick in 2013, he's logged multiple starts for four different teams -- the Raiders, Vikings, Saints and Ravens. He's topped 500 rushing yards in all but one of his eight seasons on the field, notably accounting for over 800 scrimmage yards as a complement to Kamara in 2019, his first year in New Orleans.
On the practice squad, Murray is eligible for three different one-week promotions to the Saints' active roster during the season.
