With the New Orleans Saints sitting at 1-5, head coach Kellen Moore is staring down a tough stretch and the possibility of losing some of his most explosive playmakers before the trade deadline. Wide receiver Chris Olave has already surfaced in trade talks. As for running back Alvin Kamara, things get tricky with his injuries, especially for head coach Kellen Moore.

Kamara popped up on the injury report again this week after missing Wednesday’s (Oct. 15) practice with an ankle issue. Fortunately, he was back on the field on Thursday in a limited capacity while healing from the injury.

The 30-year-old was officially questionable with the same injury before suiting up against the New England Patriots, rushing 10 times for 31 yards and five catches for 45 yards. However, for the Week 7 game at Soldier Field against the Chicago Bears, Kamara will need to log a full practice first. Until then, questions remain about his status. And head coach Moore can take comfort in knowing that once his RB is fully healthy, the player is not going anywhere.

Kamara, who is the franchise’s all-time leader in rushing yards (7,093) and rushing touchdowns (61), has been one of the most talked-about players in the trade market. However, the Saints’ RB has made it clear that he has no intention of leaving the Saints. The 5x Pro Bowler had a hilarious response to shut down all the rumors when asked about it.

“But I don’t want to go anywhere, and I’ve said it countless times,” Kamara, who has spent his entire career with the Saints, bluntly denied all rumors. “Ya’ll know that, I think everybody knows that, the fan base knows that. … If I was a GM, I guess I would go to the player and say, ‘Hey, we’re trading you, just so you know.’ So if Mickey (Loomis) comes down and says that, I’m going to go drink a piña colada somewhere.”

So, the coach is hoping that Kamara can bounce back in time for Sunday. As for the plan around the star running back, Moore has been clear since the start of the season. Kamara, who is one of the best Saints players, will continue to handle the bulk of the workload.

“Alvin’s our starting running back, so he’s certainly going to get a healthy bulk of this thing,” Moore said. “Our other guys are ready, and when the opportunity presents itself, they will handle it really well.”

Whether that remains the case against the Bears, given his ankle issue, is the big question heading into Week 7.

The Bears aren’t taking the Saints lightly

Now sitting at 3-2 after a convincing win over the Washington Commanders, Bears head coach Ben Johnson isn’t taking the 1-5 Saints lightly. As the team heads into Week 7, Johnson is more cautious than ever, pointing out one crucial aspect of the team.

“This is a team that we’re about to play that, they have a lot of veteran players that have played at a high level and are a prideful group,” Johnson said. “I probably watched to this point a lot more defense than I have at their offense, but I have a lot of respect for how they play.”

There’s Kamara, defensive end Cameron Jordan, and wide receiver Brandin Cooks, who are skilled and experienced. That explains Johnson’s caution as he called them a “good football” team. His players hold the same opinion.

QB Caleb Williams knows better than getting caught up in records. “That’s not something that we’re going to underestimate,” he said about the Saints’ record. “We’re not going to try and take advantage–they’re a good team. This is also the National Football League. Going into this with the right mindset is what we will have and what we will do. Understanding the opportunity, we have to be able to go out here execute the way we need to be able to come out four and two.”

This doesn’t help the Saints, especially with the Bears not losing any of their guards heading into the matchup. New Orleans can expect a tough game ahead.