Travis Etienne's arrival disrupts Saints running backs' projected carries. Who else battles for touches with new additions?
Everybody likes an underdog. The New Orleans Saints were set to have a few of them see significant reps at the running back position prior to free agency. That may no longer be the case.
Devin Neal and Kendre Miller were likely set to see some carries in 2026 with the natural attrition that comes with injuries at the running back position, if not for spotting fatigued starters.
New Orleans' surprise signing of elite ball carrier Travis Etienne puts a wrench in that plan as in-house running backs moved a little further down the depth chart. Add in the free agent addition of former Minnesota Vikings running back Ty Chandler, and receiving carries could be hard to come by in the near future.
Dylan Sanders of Saints Wire discussed why those free agent signings are suboptimal for the returning backs next season. Sanders gave his reasoning.
With the signings of Etienne and Ty Chandler, it's clear that the Saints want to try something new in the backfield. Chandler has less of an effect but will fight for snaps in camp. Neal had 57 rushes for 206 yards and two scores last year but was far from consistent. He looked better as the season went along, expected from a rookie, but had his season cut short with a hamstring injury. Miller has yet to break 200 yards in his first three years because of constant injury issues. The team has said they are not giving up on him, but it's only going to get harder from here. With Alvin Kamara aging, these two could have been looking for increased roles next season. It'll be tougher for them now.
New Orleans Saints running back Devin Neal (24) celebrates with running back Audric Estime (30) after scoring a touchdown during the second quarter against the Carolina Panthers at Caesars Superdome. Matthew Hinton-Imagn ImagesThe Saints were not bad at the running back position last season. Even Audric Estime came in to make plays for the team. New Orleans was solid there. Even so, good enough is not always good enough for an offense that lacked the firepower to score consistently. And since the offensive unit held the Saints back, they felt they needed to take action to improve the running back room.
Not everyone from the running back room will necessarily return for the Saints in 2026, at least not on the game day roster. Some may be relegated to the practice squad, while others may need to find a new team. What is for certain is New Orleans looked to improve the position in free agency and they did. The season will reveal how much they improved when they take the field for Week 1 in September.