Running back Alvin Kamara recently made headlines after he left New Orleans Saints minicamp early amid a contract dispute. While some may still view him as a top NFL running back, a recent ESPN piece showed that NFL teams don’t share that sentiment.

“He might have hit a wall a little bit,” an NFL running backs coach said, via ESPN. “He’s still a great all-purpose back and can run all the different schemes, has burst and contact. But the production hasn’t been there. Though I think [offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak’s] system will be really good for him.”

Kamara had his career-low rushing yards (694) in 2023, paired with his second-lowest yards per carry average (3.9). Not to mention he’s scored 10 total touchdowns over the past two seasons. He averaged 13.4 touchdowns per season during his first five years in the NFL.

In less than three weeks Kamara will be 29 years old, which is basically prehistoric for running backs these days. The only running back on ESPN’s top-10 who was older than Kamara was Derrick Henry (30). The average age of the players on that list is 25.5.

The running back who took the final spot on the list was Jacksonville Jaguars rusher Travis Etienne. He’s had consecutive 1,000-yard rushing seasons and scored 16 total touchdowns in 2023. Alongside Kamara as an honorable mention were Aaron Jones, Isiah Pacheco, Kenneth Walker, James Cook, Joe Mixon and D’Andre Swift.

There’s a chance for Kamara to make his way back onto this list. He was seventh in voting prior to the 2023 season, and if he stays generally healthy and finds success in the Saints’ new offense he’d again be one of the league’s best. Miami Dolphins running backs have thrived under the Shanahan scheme with Mike McDaniel.

There will likely be a new contract for Kamara before the regular season starts. More importantly than what the entire league thinks, we’ll see how much New Orleans values him when he gets his new deal.