WATCH: Kwon Alexander recovering from Achilles surgery with Alvin Kamara’s trainer

Kwon Alexander is training hard to recover from his 2020 season-ending Achilles injury. The linebacker was released from his contract earlier this offseason as a salary cap casualty, but he’s still proudly wearing Saints workout gear while teaming up with Miami-based Dr. Sharif Tabbah of Athletix Rehab & Recovery. Tabbah has worked with other former Saints players like Mark Ingram, Ted Ginn Jr., and Kiko Alonso in the past, but his most famous client is Alvin Kamara.

Tabbah’s background in physical therapy and kinesiology has made his training center a destination for older players and veterans coming off of injuries, so it makes sense for Alexander to seek him out. It might be a good sign of his progress, too. The 26-year old was shown practicing explosive lower body movements with resistance bands providing an added challenge, which will help test and strengthen his surgically-repaired Achilles tendon.

It would be great to have him back in New Orleans, though Alexander and the Saints couldn’t stay together at the $13 million price tag that came with his previous contract, which the Saints acquired in a trade with the 49ers. Alexander helped out right away by bringing much-needed range and athleticism to the middle of the New Orleans defense. He’s spoken highly of his experience with the Saints, so there’s likely some interest in bringing him back at a more realistic number.

Still, don’t anticipate any movement any time soon. Achilles recovery timelines vary for professional athletes, but it can take as long as 11 months for them to return to form. And Alexander’s injury history has to be considered: he missed a month of the 2017 season with a hamstring issue, lost his 2018 campaign to a torn ACL, and lost a chunk of the 49ers’ 2019 Super Bowl run with an injured pectoral muscle. It’s going to be tougher for him to come back after all those hurdles despite his young age. That’s not to say there isn’t reason for optimism — he’s receiving great treatment from a trainer with plenty of experience. Maybe he can surprise us.