Saints RB Kendre Miller leaves preseason win over Chiefs early with knee sprain

The New Orleans Saints may have lost another running back on Sunday.

Saints rookie Kendre Miller left their preseason game against the Kansas City Chiefs in the third quarter with a sprained right knee, coach Dennis Allen confirmed after the game, . It’s unclear how serious the injury is or if Miller will miss any time, though he’s set to undergo further testing in the coming days.

The knee is the same one that Miller injured in the Fiesta Bowl. Miller went down in the first half of TCU’s loss to Michigan in that game in December, and missed much of the summer recovering. He missed OTAs, but returned in time for training camp.

It didn’t appear that Miller did anything specifically on Sunday. He walked into the injury tent and then off the field on his own in the third quarter, and didn’t return. He had five rushing yards on four carries, and caught a one-yard reception in the 26-24 win.

Miller had 1,399 rushing yards and 17 touchdowns last season with TCU. The Saints selected him in the third round of the NFL Draft earlier this year.

While Miller’s injury doesn’t sound too severe, it could cause issues for the Saints in the early weeks of the season if he ends up missing time. after his alleged role in a fight outside a Las Vegas nightclub in 2022. Backup running back Eno Benjamin ruptured his Achilles earlier this month, too, and is now out for the year.

That’s left Jamaal Williams to presumably start in Kamara’s absence, and Miller will likely back him up for the first three weeks if he’s healthy. Free agent Kareem Hunt worked out with both the Saints and the Indianapolis Colts last week, too, but .

Williams led the Saints on the ground with 28 rushing yards on nine carries in Sunday’s win over Kansas City. Rookie Ellis Merriweather also had 24 yards on nine carries. Merriweather could be a very real option for the Saints early this season, especially if Miller is out for any stretch of time.

The Saints, who went 7-10 last season and missed the playoffs for a second straight year, will open their season on Sept. 10 against the Tennessee Titans.