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WOODLAND HILLS, Calif. — Earlier this month, New Orleans Saints running backs coach Joel Thomas was asked about Kendre Miller and whether the oft-injured running back faced any pressure to return as fast as he could from the back injury that had him sidelined. The assistant didn’t disagree with the premise. “Well, the pressure should be on himself,” Thomas said Aug.11. “The NFL doesn’t stop for anybody.” Miller would go on to be out another week, marking a 13-day absence amid a super competitive battle at his position. But after returning to practice Tuesday, the 24-year-old has a chance to prove that he still belongs in the NFL. And he’ll get to make his latest argument in Saturday’s pressure-packed preseason game against the Los Angeles Rams. With the starters resting, Miller is in line to get ample opportunity. But so are Devin Neal and Ty Chandler — two other running backs fighting for a roster spot. How the Saints ultimately sort out their running back room is one of the biggest remaining questions before they’ll make cuts to set their initial 53-man roster by the Aug. 30 deadline. Will they keep four backs or just three? Travis Etienne is a lock. Alvin Kamara, if he can avoid injured reserve with his sprained MCL, figures to be as well. That leaves Miller, Chandler, undrafted rookie C.J. Donaldson and veteran Audric Estime — who won’t play Saturday because of a foot injury — to vie for one or two spots. The pressure is on. Here are four other big questions entering Saturday’s exhibition. Can Charlie Smyth find his footing? The kicking competition has been tight throughout training camp, but Charlie Smyth is at risk of falling behind if he can’t generate some positive momentum against the Rams. Smyth missed a 52-yard field goal in last week’s game against the Jacksonville Jaguars and has been in a bit of a slump over the last two weeks. Tanner Brown, challenging Smyth, hasn’t run away with the job in that stretch. But he has been the more consistent of the two. Neither got a lot of opportunities to kick in this week of joint practices, with Smyth and Brown each getting five reps Tuesday and none Thursday. “I’m really bringing my best every day, stepping up and just focusing on making the next kick and not worrying too much about anything else,” Brown said. “That’s really it.” Is QB Zach Wilson going to make the team? Saints coach Kellen Moore declined to state whether Wilson or Spencer Rattler would start Saturday’s contest. But there was a notable shift in Thursday’s practice, when Wilson was the first quarterback up after Tyler Shough. The swap came days after Wilson outperformed Rattler against the Jaguars. Will Wilson become Shough’s primary backup? That depends on how the rest of the preseason goes. But the more interesting question might be whether the former second overall pick has done enough to secure a spot, even if the Saints stick with Rattler at QB2. The Saints opted not to keep three quarterbacks on cutdown day last year, preferring to have roster flexibility elsewhere. But as a franchise, New Orleans has shown it’s plenty comfortable keeping three quarterbacks. Which of the receivers step up? The Saints’ first snap of Thursday’s practice saw Bryce Lance, Kevin Austin and Barion Brown line up at wide receiver. New Orleans could end up needing all three in 2026. Chris Olave, Jordyn Tyson (when healthy) and Devaughn Vele are clearly this team’s top receivers, but injuries and rest days have already pushed the other three into expanded roles. Like running back, the wide receiver room faces a fascinating numbers crunch. If Tyson (hamstring) opens the season on injured reserve, that may help Austin’s chances of making the roster. But can any of the other wideouts — like Bub Means or Ronnie Bell — make enough of an impression in the last two preseason games to cause a change on the depth chart? Are the rookie DBs being ignored? T.J. Hall picked off Rams quarterback Ty Simpson in Thursday’s practice, which quietly provided a reminder that the Saints drafted two young cornerbacks in April. Have they been lost in the shuffle? Much has been made about Jayden Price’s potential path to locking down a roster spot. Martin Emerson, who signed in free agency, looks like a great fit in Brandon Staley’s defense. Kool-Aid McKinstry has taken a leadership role in the secondary. But fifth-rounder Lorenzo Styles — who has played inside cornerback and special teams on the second and third units — and Hall haven’t been talked about nearly as much. Is that because they’re flying under the radar? Or because they haven’t done enough to be noticed? The last two games should answer that.