Andrew Buller-Russ
The New Orleans Saints have already made some big moves in free agency to boost Kellen Moore’s offense ahead of his second season as head coach. From inking running back Travis Etienne to a $52 million contract and guard David Edwards to a $61 million contract, it’s clear that the Saints aren’t afraid to spend to land the upgrades they seek.
Yet, the Saints can’t just keep adding expensive players. Eventually, they may have to say goodbye to one too.
Recently, Matthew Paras of Nola.com reported that the Saints still aren’t comfortable with running back Alvin Kamara’s $10.5 million cap hit for 2026. Unless Kamara, a five-time Pro Bowler, agrees to a pay cut, he may be released from the squad. That is, unless a trade partner emerges for the soon-to-be 31-year-old tailback.
As head coach Kellen Moore said on Monday, Kamara is “certainly on the roster.” But based on Paras’ reporting, it may not be for much longer.
Kamara is coming off a down season in which he played and started just 11 games, recording 471 rushing yards and just one touchdown. He also chipped in another 186 yards as a receiver. Still, that dwarfs Kamara’s typical production, which makes it easy to see why they were willing to commit so much money to a new starter in Etienne instead.
While Kamara could stick around in a drastically reduced role, he may be able to find better opportunities to see the field elsewhere. Yet, perhaps he’d prefer to stick with the only team he’s known since arriving as the 67th overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft.
Related: 2026 NFL Mock Draft: End of March Edition
