On a Sunday afternoon in Orchard Park, NY back in 2017, New Orleans Saints rookie running back Alvin Kamara rushed for 106 yards and a touchdown, adding five catches for 32 yards. The performance helped
fuel the Saints to a 47-10 victory over the Buffalo Bills. Until this Sunday, that game stood out as the only time Kamara has played Buffalo in his career.
Fast forward eight years and Kamara is now 30 years old, and set to visit Western New York to take on the Bills in Highmark Stadium once again. With so much time having passed, is Kamara still the same back once considered among the very best in the league? Let’s dive into some numbers to find out.
It’s worth noting that until the start of the 2021 NFL season, Kamara lined up behind Hall of Fame quarterback Drew Brees — and the numbers definitely back it up. During four seasons with Brees Kamara had two campaigns with double-digit rushing touchdowns (14 in 2018 / 16 in 2020). Interestingly, Kamara has never shad a 1,000-yard rushing season.
Kamara made an incredible impact as a receiver with Brees, where he had three seasons with at least 100 targets (2017, 2018, 2020) and two seasons with five receiving touchdowns (2017, 2020). That positioned Kamara as one of if not the best dual-threat running back in the league. However, once Brees left, the Saints went into quarterback purgatory and defenses around the league zeroed in on Kamara, unwilling to let him be the reason New Orleans won the game.
Important to this conversation, Kamara’s all-around best season since Brees retired came in 2024, when he gained 950 rushing yards (also a career high) and scored six touchdowns on the ground, adding 68 receptions (89 targets) for 543 yards and five touchdown catches. That speaks to his ability as a veteran, but the main difference has been in the passing game where he hasn’t had more than 89 targets since 2020.
The 2025 NFL season been hit and miss for Kamara. Week 2 proved to be the best so far with 21 carries for 99 rushing yards and six catches for 21 yards against the San Francisco 49ers. The two other games saw Kamara total 87 yards rushing with one touchdown and three catches for 26 yards.
Whether Kamara’s still elite or not, it’s fair to say that he’s still a very dangerous player who could spell trouble for Buffalo. The Bills haven’t wielded a fierce run defense yet, but one would have to believe that stopping Kamara is priority number one. That would then force quarterback Spencer Rattler to try and beat them through the air.
