It's not all bad news for the New Orleans Saints: Alvin Kamara, welcome back -- we've missed you.
As of Monday the Saints' start running back is eligible to return from his three-game suspension. He's been away from the team since the Monday following the preseason finale against the Texans.
So how did Kamara celebrate? Well, he had a hilarious video ready, complete with the floating heads of Dennis Allen and Derek Carr over a video of a man getting let out jail, along with the caption, "first day out."
The Saints navigated reasonably well in his absence with wins over the Titans and Panthers before a demoralizing loss to the Packers in a game they lead 17-0 midway through the 4th quarter. The team is also reeling from a shoulder injury to Derek Carr that is expected to see him miss some time.
“This team is definitely excited to get AK," QB Jameis Winston said. "He is definitely a part of our team that we’ve been missing. He adds electricity to our team. I’m gonna be happy to see him in the building and be able to work with him."
Kamara's return will ideally add more pop to an offense that's been too often stuck in the mud over the past two seasons, even without Carr. The Saints defense has held opponents to 20 or fewer points in 11 consecutive games, but the team is 6-5 over that span.
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It will most likely be Winston behind center for Kamara's debut, which will come against the Bucs at the Caesars Superdome in a pivotal NFC South matchup. The Saints and Falcons both sit at 2-1, while the Bucs are 2-0 with a Monday Night Football matchup with the Eagles.
"Any time you get to work with a future Hall of Famer, as he is," Winston said, "you get excited.”