Dennis Allen says the New Orleans Saints haven’t made a decision on activating Kendre Miller from injured reserve just yet. The second-year running back has been sidelined since July 24 with a hamstring injury that cost him all of training camp, three preseason games, and at least the first four regular season matchups. He hasn’t practiced in 70 days.
And it sounds like he’s going to wait a little longer. It had been previously reported that the Saints expected Miller back after Week 4’s game with the Atlanta Falcons, but Allen tempered those expectations. Miller is eligible to return from injured reserve, but he may not be ready just yet.
“He’s made significant progress. I think that’s something that we’re considering,” Allen told WWL Radio this week. “We haven’t made a final decision on that.”
Players sometimes play as soon as they return to practice, but generally they take some time knocking off the rust. NFL rules give them a 21-day window in which to practice and prove they’re ready to go. So even if the Saints designate Miller to return on Thursday, there’s no guarantee he’ll play against the Kansas City Chiefs next Monday.
“I think that three-week window for him is going to be an important timeframe,” Allen added.
That’s disappointing. Hamstring injuries don’t normally take this long to recover from, but everyone is different, and so is every injury. Maybe Miller is dealing with something else. Maybe Allen is trying to motivate him. We’ll watch for updates.
