Only 5 days are left before the New Orleans Saints take the field for their 2026 season opener. The Saints will be on the road to start their year when they play at the Detroit Lions on Sunday, Sept. 13. Running back Kendre Miller will wear the No. 5 jersey for the Saints this season. The often-injured Miller looks to finally put together a healthy season and is our latest Saints Player of the Day.
- Name (age): Kendre Miller (24)
- Hometown: Mount Enterprise, Texas
- Position: Running back
- Height, weight: 6-foot, 220 pounds
- College: TCU Horned Frogs
- Relative Athletic Score: n/a
- Drafted: Round 3, 71st overall in 2023 (Saints)
- NFL experience: 3 years
- 2026 salary cap hit: $1.8 million
After rushing for an eye-popping 2,508 yards and 34 scores as a senior at Mount Enterprise High School, Miller's college commitment was just a short distance away with Texas Christian University. He'd see a decent amount of action as a true freshman in the Covid-shortened season of 2020, appearing in all but one game and rushing for 388 yards and 2 scores.
Miller's 688 rushing yards and 7 touchdowns were second on the Horned Frogs in 2021. In 2022, TCU shocked the nation with a 12-1 regular season, a win in the CFP Semifinals, and appearance in the national championship game. Miller was a huge part of that success, rushing for 1,399 yards and 17 touchdowns. Perhaps in a harbinger of things to come as a pro, Miller was sidelined by a knee injury in the national title game as the Horned Frogs were destroyed by Georgia.
Miller was the fourth back selected in the 2023 NFL draft, taken by the Saints with the eighth choice of Round 3. He was picked ahead of explosive Texas A&M back De'Von Achane and Tulane star Tyjae Spears. As a rookie, Miller would appear in eight games and had 156 rushing yards while adding 10 receptions for 117 yards. He showed big-play capabilities and even featured back talents, particularly with impressive moments against the Patriots, Bears, and Falcons. Concerns about his durability also surfaced that year, as Miller missed nine games and most of two others because various injuries.
A hamstring injury on the first day of 2024 training camp caused frustration surrounding Miller to grow. He missed the entire preseason and would not suit up until Week 7 of the regular season. After just two games, Miller landed on the injury list again and would miss another four weeks. He'd finally return to the lineup in Week 14, a few weeks after coach Dennis Allen was fired. Miller would play in four of the final five games. On the year, he'd see action in six contests and had 148 rushing yards along with 5 catches for 33 yards.
Under a fresh start with a new coaching staff in 2025, Miller exhibited the same old tendencies. Over the first seven games, he picked up 193 rushing yards with an average of 4.1 per attempt and caught 5 passes for 30 yards while averaging nearly 25 yards as a kickoff returner. In mid-October, Miller suffered a torn ACL that would cause him to miss the final ten games. In his three NFL seasons, injuries have caused Miller to miss a mind-boggling 30 of 51 outings.
Nobody should doubt Kendre Miller's talent. He has a fantastic combination of power and burst with the solid vision to give him the skills of a featured back. It would also take a fool to count on him to be consistently in the lineup. Knowing this, the Saints went out and signed Travis Etienne in free agency. A free agent at the end of this year, it's hard to tell what role Kendre Miller will have in the New Orleans offense. If the Saints get a healthy Miller, he adds an explosive weapon to their attack. Kendre Miller may need to show he can stay healthy to garner interest from any team in free agency this offseason.
This article originally appeared on Saints Wire: Countdown to Kickoff: Kendre Miller is the Saints Player of Day 5
