Contrary to popular belief, the New Orleans Saints don't plan to expand Alvin Kamara's workload in the absence of Mark Ingram for the first four games of the 2018 season.
"The mistake would be that Alvin gets 15 more carries and that's not the direction we would expect to go," head coach Sean Payton told reporters Saturday, via Herbie Teope of NFL.com. "I don't think that is wise."
Kamara was dynamite for New Orleans last season, posting 1,554 yards and 13 combined touchdowns en route to Offensive Rookie of the Year honors. He and Ingram gave the Saints a formidable backfield tandem, but the latter received a four-game suspension for violating the NFL's policy on performance-enhancing drugs.
The Saints have also indicated they don't intend to bring in a veteran tailback to pair with Kamara early in the season, though Payton admitted that could change. As it stands now, he'll let a group of less established rushers battle for Ingram's snaps while he's away.
"There will be a handful of other guys competing for those touches," Payton said. "Certainly, you miss something with a guy like Mark Ingram in those early weeks. But I think for us it's going to be evaluating that whole position and determining who can handle some of that role."