Saints' Alvin Kamara Is Back After 3-Game Suspension For Battery Arrest - Releases Out Of Jail Video

Saints running back Alvin Kamara is back practicing following a three-game suspension by the NFL for a battery arrest, and New Orleans' offense badly needs his punch.

The Saints (2-1) are No. 25 in the NFL in scoring with 19.4 points a game and 20th in total offense with 314 yards a game. They lost at Green Bay, 18-17, on Sunday after leading 17-0 at the half.

New Orleans hosts Tampa Bay (2-1) on Sunday (1 p.m., FOX). The game will match two top 10 defenses in fewest points allowed as the Saints are No. 6 (20.3 points) and the Bucs are No. 9 (21.6).

New Orleans is 21st in rushing yards per game at 93. Kamara has been one of the top running backs in the NFL since he was the league's Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2017. He rushed 223 times for 897 yards last season and caught 57 passes for 490 yards. Four times in his career, Kamara has rushed for more than 800 yards and totaled more than 500 receiving yards.

Saints' Alvin Kamara Feels Free

"It's weird not playing, so, obviously, it will feel good to be out there with my teammates," said Kamara, who looked good as new in practice Wednesday. "It will feel good to be out there running and moving around. I'm free. You know what I'm saying? Literally and figuratively."

Kamara and part of his entourage were arrested on Feb. 6, 2022, for felony battery of Darnell Greene outside a Las Vegas nightclub the night before. Kamara caught four passes for 23 yards in the NFC's 41-35 loss to the AFC in the Pro Bowl there.

After being jailed briefly, Kamara later pleaded no contest to a lesser, misdemeanor charge of breaking the peace. He paid $100,000 toward Greene's medical bills and performed community service. The NFL delayed its decision on discipline for Kamara through all of last season before deciding on the suspension over this past summer.

Early this week, Kamara released a video of his newfound freedom on X, formerly Twitter.

During a 10-minute press conference at the Saints' facility on Wednesday, no one asked Kamara if he learned anything from his arrest, settlement and suspension. Only once did a reporter even broach the subject, and that was only with a question about missing three games because of the arrest.

"Obviously, that situation was over my head last year," Kamara said. And that was his only comment on the incident.

Saints coach Dennis Allen sounded very excited to have his best weapon back.

Saints Offense And Coach Dennis Allen Could Use Kamara

"He looked good. He's in shape. He looked explosive. It's good to have him back out there," Allen said.

"There are some things that I do that opens up our offense a little more," Kamara said. "For everybody, not just for me."

Next, the Saints hope to get starting quarterback Derek Carr back after he sprained his right, throwing shoulder against Green Bay and left the game. If he's not ready, Jameis Winston will start at quarterback.

"You don't just replace Alvin Kamara," Carr said Wednesday. "He does things that other people can't. So getting AK back is a big deal."

Kamara watched the three previous Saints games on television.

"Weird, weird," he said. "It was definitely weird. We just got to get back on track, so I'm happy I'm back. It feels like college."

Kamara did not play a lot in his college career at Alabama and at Tennessee.

"I'm fresh," he said. "Real fresh."