Alvin Kamara has made his preference clear: he wants to finish his career in New Orleans. That’s been the message coming from the Saints star this offseason, and it’s one the team seemed ready to embrace.
But around the league, the conversation has shifted from loyalty to leverage. Kamara remains a respected name and an all-time great in franchise history, yet some around the NFL are looking at the running back through a different lens - as a possible trade piece if New Orleans decides to listen before the deadline.
Athlon Sports’ Neal Coolong floated that possibility, pointing to Kamara’s production, contract, and workload as reasons the Saints could at least consider moving him. As Coolong noted, "Kamara is the franchise's all-time leading rusher and a five-time Pro Bowl pick, and at 31 he is playing on a one-year, $6 million contract he signed in July.
He missed the opener with an MCL sprain and has 18 carries for 51 yards in two games since. His 54.0 overall grade from PFF ranks 44th among 46 qualified running backs.
His workload is about to grow. Travis Etienne Jr. went on injured reserve this week with a hamstring injury and will miss at least four games, and Saints coach Kellen Moore said of his backfield, 'I think Alvin and Kendre will handle that load really well.'
That gives Kamara about a month of lead-back work before the deadline. Any deal would need his cooperation, though.
Kamara told reporters last October that if the Saints tried to move him, 'I'll go drink a piña colada somewhere.'"
That one-year deal matters here. For New Orleans, it softens the financial hit if a trade ever becomes real, and it could also bring back a draft pick from a contender looking for backfield help for a postseason push.
Still, the Saints are not acting like a team ready to wave the white flag. They sit in first place in the division at 1-2, and from their point of view, there’s still a playoff path in front of them. For now, the backfield picture should remain stable when Etienne returns, even if Kamara is set to carry a bigger load in the short term.
The cleanest ending, from a feel-good angle, is obvious: Kamara stays in New Orleans and gets to keep chasing wins in the same uniform he’s worn for so long. Whether that’s how this plays out is the question hanging over the Saints as the deadline draws closer.
In Other News...
Alvin Kamara Now Faces The Saints Question Fans Can't Ignore
Alvin Kamara is back in the spot the Saints expected him to occupy when he agreed to take a pay cut to stay in New Orleans, and the timing matters. With Travis Etienne injured, Kamara is lined up to return as the starting running back, giving the Saints a familiar option in a backfield that has not produced clean answers yet. The organization has continued to show confidence in him even after a recent statistical dip, banking on the idea that his value goes beyond the raw numbers.
Sean Paytons reflections on coaching Kamara only add to the intrigue, especially his note that Kamara could coast through practice at times and the way the two talked about his career path. Kamaras early season has been mixed, which leaves the Saints weighing the same question fans keep circling: how much of his next stretch will look like the player they remember, and how much will reflect the gradual decline they have already started to see? [Read more 🡒]
Kool-Aid McKinstry Faces A Huge Saints Test Against Atlanta
Kool-Aid McKinstry is heading into one of the more important matchups of his young season with the Saints set to face Atlanta. The rookie cornerback has shown steady improvement and has earned praise from defensive coordinator Brandon Staley, a sign that his role and responsibility have grown as the year has gone on. Now the next test comes against a Falcons offense that just turned in a strong performance, with Drake London likely to be at the center of the attention.
For New Orleans, the appeal of this matchup is easy to see: McKinstry has been trending up, and the Saints need that progress to hold against a receiver who can change how a game is played. Even with the challenges that come with facing Atlanta, McKinstry has stayed confident, and this is the kind of assignment that can say plenty about where he stands right now. [Read more 🡒]
Saints Enter Week 4 With A Kyle Pitts Problem They Can't Ignore
New Orleans has already spent the first three weeks dealing with a defense that has had a hard time matching up with tight ends, and that problem looms again with Atlanta on deck. Injuries and depth concerns at linebacker have made it harder for the Saints to play the kind of assignment-sound football that usually keeps athletic mismatches from turning into drive-changing plays, and Brandon Staley is staring at another test in a division game that could demand more creativity than comfort.
Kyle Pitts has not piled up much production yet, but the Saints cannot afford to treat him like a quiet part of the Falcons offense. His size and movement skills still force defenses to account for him, and with Atlantas offense looking more efficient, the possibility of a bigger role feels real. For New Orleans, the challenge is less about what Pitts has done so far and more about whether the Saints can find a coverage answer before he becomes the kind of problem that changes the game. [Read more 🡒]