The New Orleans Saints will take on the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday afternoon and there’s a chance that National Football League history could be made.
Right now, Kamara has the fifth-most catches by a running back in NFL history with 604. The Saints pointed out that Kamara can move up to No. 4 on the all-time list on Sunday if he can haul in seven passes against the Falcons.
“With 604 career receptions, Alvin Kamara ranks fifth all-time among running backs,” the Saints shared. “With seven catches on Sunday, he would pass Keith Byars to take sole possession of fourth all-time in NFL history.”
Kamara has had his fair share of big games throughout his career, but he has not reached seven receptions in a single game yet this year. The most catches he’s had in one game this season was six back on Sept. 14th against the San Francisco 49ers. Last season, he was able to reach the threshold once with seven catches on Sept. 29, 2024, against the Falcons.
His usage in the passing game has taken a significant hit this season. Last year, he averaged 4.9 catches per game, and that was a drop from 2023 when he had 5.8 receptions per game. This season, Kamara has hauled in 3.1 catches per game, which would be his lowest mark of his career if the season were to end today.
While this is the case, Kamara is in sniffing distance of Keith Byars at No. 4. Right now, the Saints have seven games left this season. If he just sticks with his average catches per game this season, he would tack on another 21 catches before the campaign wraps. If he gets 21 more catches this season, that would put him at 625 for his career, which would be one ahead of LaDainian Tomlinson for No. 3 all-time among running backs.
Marshall Faulk has the record right now at 767. There’s no way to know how much longer Kamara will play, but there’s a very good chance that he will at least finish the season with the third-most catches in NFL history by a running back
NFL Films audio from the Buffalo Bills sideline during their 44-32 win over the Buccaneers in Week 11 revealed as much, with Bills offensive tackle Spencer Brown and his teammates in awe of Wirfs on a 43-yard touchdown run by Tampa Bay running back Sean Tucker in the second quarter.
“Bills players were blown away by how good Bucs All-Pro LT Tristan Wirfs is at what he does,” NFL insider Jordan Schultz wrote on his official X account on Tuesday, November 18, with the video of the Bills sideline attached.
On Tucker’s touchdown run, Wirfs was out front, running almost step for step with Tucker and mowing down defenders to clear a path to the end zone.
“He was flying (on the touchdown run) … Wirfs is so good at football,” Brown said. “That was pretty disgusting. That boy can fly, he can jump out of pools … let me get this straight: He’s rich, he’s got a full head of hair and he’s good at football. That’s a pretty good start.”
Wirf is definitely rich. He’s actually the richest offensive lineman in NFL history with a 5-year, $140.6 million contract extension he signed in August 24 that came with approximately $88.4 million in guaranteed money and a $25 million signing bonus.
As far as jumping out of pools, Brown was referring to the 2020 pre-draft video of Wirfs, 6-foot-5 and 325 pounds, in 2020, which showed him jumping out of a swimming pool. The Buccaneers selected Wirfs No. 13 overall that year out of the University of Iowa.
Brown, 6-foot-8 and 311 pounds, is an Iowa native like Wirfs. Like Wirfs, he stayed in his home state to play college football. Brown starred at Northern Iowa and was a third round pick (No. 93 overall) by the Bills in the 2021 NFL draft, signing a 4-year, $72 million contract extension in September 2024.
Through his first 5 NFL seasons, Wirfs is a Super Bowl champion, 4-time Pro Bowler and 3-time NFL All-Pro. He’s also the first player in NFL history to be named All-Pro at both right offensive tackle and left offensive tackle.
Wirfs is currently sixth out of 76 eligible left offensive tackles with an 83.5 overall grade from Pro Football Focus despite missing the first 3 games of the season following offseason knee surgery.
There are few NFL players hold in higher regard by their peers than Wirfs.
In ESPN’s annual Top 10 position rankings, anonymous NFL coaches, scouts and executives ranked Wirfs as the NFL’s No. 1 offensive tackle before the season.
“Wirfs earning first-team All-Pro honors at left and right tackle is an incredible feat,” ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler wrote on July 13. “No other player in NFL history has done that. Perhaps even more impressive: Wirfs did so in his second NFL season of playing each position (2021, 2024), showing a Doogie Howser level of quick learning. ESPN Research attributed two sacks to Wirfs, an impressive number for a left tackle. His 95.9 pass block win rate led all tackles.”