The last year Alvin Kamara didn't play in a New Orleans Saints season opener was 2016, and that's because Kamara wasn't a Saint in 2016. He was beginning his final college season, at Tennessee.
So last week, sitting out the first opener of his 10-year NFL career — the Saints' 31-30, overtime road lost to Detroit — was about as foreign as you'd imagine it would be for the franchise's all-time leader in rushing yards (7,250), yards from scrimmage (12,198), touchdowns (87) and rushing touchdowns (61).
"It was interesting. It just felt weird," Kamara said Wednesday. "I hadn't experienced that before, kind of just trying to mentally be in it, but not playing. It was weird, for sure."
The weirdness ends Sunday, when the Saints (0-1) face the Ravens (1-0) at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore, Md. Kamara will make his debut, now fully recovered from a Grade 2 knee sprain sustained in the Saints' joint practice with Dallas in Oxnard, Calif., on Aug. 18. He beat the projected timeline of six weeks.
"I'm going," Kamara said of his status, after his second straight day of full practice. "If it wasn't right, I wouldn't be in. I feel great, moving well, really no limitations. I feel good.
"Beat (the timeline), feeling good, ready."
Kamara joins a backfield rotation with Travis Etienne Jr. (nine carries for 46 yards in the opener) and Kendre Miller (nine carries for 30 yards and a touchdown). Though Kamara has shared the backfield with other running backs as a Saint, he's been the lead back with the overwhelming majority of touches.
"You really never know when your number is going to be called," he said. "I feel the same as if I'm leading or not, that's more for the coaches to figure out. My job is to be ready, so I'll be ready."
Kamara was questionable for the opener after a week of limited practice, before Coach Kellen Moore announced that he would be out. He said he was close to being ready, and now that he is, hopes to help the Saints offense continue the trajectory it found in the second half against Detroit.
"Being able to stay on track, stay ahead of the chains," he said. "We had two picks and a fumble; you wipe those three away, who's to know what happens on those drives. When you turn the ball over it's tough to win, especially three turnovers, let alone one.
"You alleviate some of that, hit some of those (big plays); just a couple of things I can think about where you get those plays back and it's a different picture that's painted. Just can't shoot yourself in the foot, and I think we have a better opportunity to be in a position to win."
SNAP DECISION: With long snapper Zach Wood (calf) set to miss time due to his injury — sustained during Wednesday's practice and not diagnosed until afterward — New Orleans had several long snappers try out Thursday.
"We had some workouts today. We'll get one and we'll get ready to go play on Sunday," special teams coordinator Phil Galiano said.
Defensive lineman John Ridgeway III also took some reps at the position.
Receiver Chris Olave (hamstring) and edge rusher Chase Young (calf) each appeared on Thursday's injury report, both with limited practice participation. Tight end Juwan Johnson (illness) returned to practice and also was limited, along with tight end Oscar Delp (hamstring) and edge Cameron Jordan (hamstring).
