Alvin Kamara appears set to remain in New Orleans, with a report Wednesday from NewOrleans.Football insider Nick Underhill saying the Saints are finalizing a new deal for the five-time Pro Bowler.
The move would settle a situation that had been hanging over Kamara as he headed toward the 2026 season. He was entering the final year of a two-year, $24.5 million contract, and the Saints had also brought in former Jaguars running back Travis Etienne this offseason. That combination made Kamara look like a possible odd man out, but the new agreement should keep him in New Orleans for the foreseeable future.
Kamara has never sounded like someone eager to wear another uniform. Last October, he told reporters he would rather “ go drink a piña colada somewhere ” than be traded to another team. Retirement, at least for now, does not appear to be part of the conversation either.
The production has matched the personality. Kamara is the Saints’ all-time leading rusher with 7,250 career rushing yards, and he has added 4,948 receiving yards while scoring 86 total touchdowns on the ground and through the air over nine NFL seasons. He’s also the Saints’ all-time (non-kicker) points leader.
Drafted in the third round in 2017 out of Tennessee, Kamara has built a resume that already includes two-time NFL All Pro honors and the 2017 Rookie of the Year award. He also owns three NFL records, though all three are tied: rushing touchdowns in a game with six, points scored in a game with 36, and career two-point conversions with seven. One more in any of those categories would give him the record outright.
His connection to Tennessee has stayed strong throughout his NFL career. Kamara has made regular trips to Rocky Top for games, practices and events, and in April Tennessee Athletics announced it had received a “large philanthropic gift” from him. UT later responded with a prominent naming opportunity inside Neyland Stadium, though it has not yet been announced.
“There are certain experiences that shape you throughout your life,” Kamara said in April. “In my heart, it was only right that I pour back into the university that gave me an opportunity when I didn’t quite know what was next. The naming recognition space that we are working on, inside Neyland Stadium, will be a representation of perseverance and faith for everyone who enters for years to come.”
David Gabriel Georges. It was a huge flex from Tennessee during the weekend, and Kamara was ready to help.
In Other News...
Tennessees Quarterback Battle May Already Be Telling Fans Something Big
Tennessees quarterback room is already one of the most watched parts of fall camp, and for good reason. The Vols are set to sort through a competition that includes true freshman Faizon Brandon, redshirt-freshman George MacIntyre and transfer Ryan Staub, a mix that gives the staff both youth and experience as it tries to identify the next answer under center.
Brandon has been the name drawing the most attention so far, not just because of his recruiting profile, but because of how quickly he has taken to the offense. Coaches have been encouraged by his early progress, and that kind of head start can matter in a room where every rep counts. Even before the competition really settles in, there is already a sense that Tennessee may be seeing the shape of its future at quarterback. [Read more 🡒]
Tennessees Biggest 2026 NIL Price Tag Comes With One Huge Twist
Tennessees roster-building under the modern NIL system has produced a familiar sort of arms race, with the biggest numbers often attached to the most coveted young talent. Left tackle David Sanders Jr. sits at the top of the active group with a reported $1.7 million valuation, while quarterback George MacIntyre and a cluster of freshmen and juniors are also being discussed in the six- and seven-figure range. It is a reminder that for the Volunteers, the price of keeping pace in the SEC is no longer just about recruiting rankings or depth charts, but about how aggressively the program can secure the players it believes will matter most.
Chaz Coleman is the twist in that picture. The edge rusher reportedly signed Tennessees largest NIL deal at $2 million, only for the arrangement to change after a medical disqualification, leaving the school to pay out roughly $200,000 before he moved on. For a program trying to balance immediate roster needs with long-term investment, that kind of turn is exactly why NIL has become as much about risk management as it is about talent acquisition. [Read more 🡒]
Tennessee Finally Gets The National Respect Vols Fans Wanted
College basketball analyst Jon Rothstein gave Tennessee another sign that the Vols are being viewed the way their fans have long wanted, slotting them No. 10 in his Rothstein Power 45. For a program that has spent recent seasons trying to turn strong regular-season teams into something even more dangerous in March, the ranking fits the broader sense around this roster: Tennessee has the talent to be taken seriously as a national title threat.
Rick Barnes has used the transfer portal to reshape the group with a clear eye toward more scoring punch, adding Juke Harris, Terrence Hill Jr., Jalan Haralson, Dai Dai Ames, Miles Rubin, Braedan Lue, Christian Fermin and DeWayne Brown II. The Vols still want to win the familiar way, with defense and rebounding at the center of everything, but the real test is coming soon enough in a demanding non-conference slate that should say plenty about how ready this team is for the postseason. [Read more 🡒]