In retrospect, maybe it wasn’t a great idea for the Washington Commanders to trade veteran running back Brian Robinson Jr. to the San Francisco 49ers right before the regular season and put their backfield’s hopes in the hands of rookie Jacorey Croskey-Merritt and Austin Ekeler.
With Ekeler out for the season with a torn Achilles tendon and Croskey-Merritt seeming to have hit a rookie wall just 7 games in, the best move for the flailing Commanders might be a trade to bolster the position.
CBS Sports NFL reporter Cody Benjamin put the Commanders on his list of teams who should be in play for New Orleans Saints running back and 5-time Pro Bowler Alvin Kamara ahead of the November 4 NFL trade deadline.
“The former Pro Bowler has made it clear that he’d like to stay in New Orleans, where he’s spent his entire NFL career,” Benjamin wrote on October 23. “But it doesn’t take much to see that Kamara is choosing familiarity over championship prospects. There’s a handful of legitimate contenders that could use his level of pass-catching prowess out of the backfield, even if the multipurpose star is aging and relatively expensive.”
Kamara Made Big Money in New Orleans
Kamara, a 2-time NFL All-Pro and 5-time Pro Bowler, signed a 5-year $75 million contract extension with the Saints in September 2020 but renegotiated his deal to a 2-year, $24.5 million contract extension in October 2024.
When Kamara’s current deal runs out after the 2026 season, he will have approximately $79.9 million in career earnings.
One look at Kamara’s production shows he still has high-level value and could very well be the missing component that helps other parts of Washington’s offense snap into place.
Namely, he could be a safety net for second year quarterback Jayden Daniels and take pressure off wide receiver Terry McLaurin when both players return from injuries.
In 2023, Kamara had 1,160 yards of total offense — 694 rushing yards and 466 receiving yards — and 6 touchdowns. He did that despite missing 4 games, with 3 of those coming from a suspension after violating the NFL’s personal conduct policy.
In 2024, Kamara had 1,493 yards of total offense and 8 touchdowns.
Commanders Struggling to Keep Season Afloat
The Commanders entered the season as Super Bowl contenders. Just 2 months in, they find themselves struggling to keep their heads above water.
After losing to the Dallas Cowboys in Week 7, the Commanders dropped to 3-4 and will travel to face the Kansas City Chiefs for Monday Night Football in Week 8 without Daniels, who will miss the game with a hamstring injury after missing 2 games earlier this season with a knee sprain.
McLaurin, who set a franchise record with 13 touchdown receptions in 2024, has missed the last 4 games with a quad injury/hip flexor.
Veteran quarterback and former No. 2 overall pick Marcus Mariota will make his third start of the season in place of Daniels as they travel to face the Chiefs, with games against NFC contenders coming up in Week 9 against the Seattle Seahawks and Week 10 against the Detroit Lions.
Without Daniels and McLaurin, it’s hard to envision the Commanders even coming close to what they did last season — a 12-5 regular season record followed by their first NFC Championship Game appearance since 1991.
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