WGNO

Missing you: Saints road to Super Bowl has potential pothole

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - NOVEMBER 22: Alvin Kamara #41 of the New Orleans Saints celebrates his 3 yard touchdown run in the second quarter against the Atlanta Falcons at Mercedes-Benz Superdome on November 22, 2020 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)

NEW ORLEANS — There was a tremor in New Orleans to start the new year.

Running back Alvin Kamara has tested positive for Covid-19. The Saints, on their team website, would only say that Kamara is on the Covid-19 list.

The NFL has stiffened the rules for players returning from the virus, and those rules could cause the Saints to be without their best player in a potential first round playoff game.

Kamara, with a positive test, would be out ten days from when the test was first administered.

The potential hole that Kamara’s absence leaves in the Saints offense is crater-like.

The Saints have 2,109 rushing yards. Kamara has 932.

The Saints have 13 runs of 20 plus yards this season. Kamara has 7 of those runs. Of the Saints’ 54 touchdowns from scrimmage in the first 15 games, Kamara has 21.

In the NFL, one of the axioms is next man up. But, there are some players in the league who are irreplaceable, and on the 2020 Saints Kamara is that player.