‘Ready to roll’: Kamara plans to play vs. Seattle

METAIRIE, La. — New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara said he’s feeling good and plans to play against the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday after missing last week’s game against the Minnesota Vikings.

Kamara was listed as limited in practice on Wednesday. Saints quarterback Jameis Winston and wide receiver Michael Thomas did not practice Wednesday after missing the Vikings game.

“The main thing for me is just being able to help the team any way I can,” Kamara said. “Physically, if there’s a time where I feel like I can’t do that, then I can’t be out there. The last thing I want to do is negatively impact the game. Just being all the way healthy and available on Sunday, that’s my biggest thing. So that’s why, obviously last week was kind of up in the air, didn’t go. This week I’m feeling great, healthy, ready to roll. So I’m going to be out there.”

Kamara has a rib injury that he suffered in the Saints season opener against the Atlanta Falcons, and it has caused him to miss games in Week 2 and Week 4.

“It’s a weird injury,” Kamara said. “There’s nothing really you can do for it. It’s one of those things you’ve got to kind of be easy with and one morning you wake up and it’s feeling terrible, the next morning you wake up and it’s feeling better. I kind of try to stay on the rehab and try to do everything I can. Obviously there’s not too much I can do, but obviously I try to do everything I can to make it feel good and just promote and stimulate the healing.”

Kamara said he’ll wear extra padding to be on the safe side with his rib injury. Winston, who injured his back in Week 1, has also been wearing extra padding when he plays.

“Just protect it, be on the safe side rather than not and end up with another injury,” Kamara said. “We’re going to protect it and we’ll be good.”

Saints coach Dennis Allen said he did not have an update on Winston, who missed all three practices last week leading up to the Saints’ game in London. While the starting quarterback typically speaks to reporters on Wednesdays, neither Winston nor Andy Dalton, who started against the Vikings, did any interviews.

“The only update is that he’s still rehabbing. Right now the plan is, I want to get him healthy and we’ll see where he’s at. He’s getting better, so we’re just trying to get him healthy,” Allen said.

Allen also said he did not have a timetable for Thomas’ return.

“He’s out right now, and hopefully he’s going to get well and we’ll be able to get him back,” Allen said.