The Saints’ Alvin Kamara has landed in an uncomfortable spot: still a familiar name in New Orleans, but now being talked about like a player whose price tag no longer matches the production.
Running back contracts have always been a tricky business. Teams want dependable production, but the position gets treated like something they can patch together with draft picks and low-cost replacements.
Every so often, though, a back comes along who breaks that logic - the kind of player defenses can’t simply wait out. The source points to names like Derrick Henry, Christian McCaffrey, Saquon Barkley and Jonathan Taylor as examples of that tier.
Kamara was once one of the league’s clearest examples of a back worth building around. He burst onto the scene and formed one of the NFL’s best duos with Mark Ingram, and the Saints paid him accordingly. Now, the conversation has shifted.
A big reason is the Saints’ move to sign former Jaguars running back Travis Etienne under a four-year, $48 million deal. That addition has fueled the belief that New Orleans may be preparing to move on from Kamara.
The financial picture is part of the issue. Kamara is set to carry a 2026 cash salary of $11.5 million, tied for ninth among running backs. ESPN’s Katherine Terrell wrote that Kamara’s contract situation will determine whether he stays on the roster, adding: "The Saints need to address his $11.5 million salary this summer before the 30-year-old's roster spot is secure," Terrell wrote.
The production and durability concerns are there, too. Last season, Kamara posted a career-low 657 scrimmage yards and scored one touchdown. He has also missed 13 games over the last three seasons, and his last Pro Bowl came in 2021.
Kamara remains a popular figure with Saints fans, but the numbers and the roster move behind him point in the same direction. The nine-year veteran may need to take a pay cut if he wants to stay in New Orleans.
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