Saints: Three reasons Alvin Kamara might consider hold out

Could New Orleans Saints star Alvin Kamara hold out?

In the modern NFL, it comes as no surprise to any fan when news of a big star holding out on contract negotiations arises. Alvin Kamara is one of the many stars the Saints have.

We are living in the era of player empowerment in many ways, and players will ensure that they are paid what they believe themselves to be worth before committing to a team for years to come.

Individuals at the wide receiver and running back positions especially are unafraid to hold out due to their awareness of their marketability and productivity for the team as a whole.

Recently, there have been instances where holdouts result in certain players penning their names on historic contract extensions. Just last year Ezekiel Elliott signed the highest annual contract when he agreed to a six-year, 90 million dollar contract with the Cowboys.

Some holdouts, however, don’t go exactly as planned and can result in a sharp decline in the player’s worth as a whole. For example, Melvin Gordon went from asking for 13 million dollars a year to being on a different team only earning eight million a year within a single season.

The recent CBA also makes the holdout situation complicated for anyone seeking a bigger payday. Previously, players were fined 40,000 dollars out of pocket for any days of training camp that they missed and could lose an accrued year towards free agency by not reporting within 30 days.

Those numbers have superseded their previous amounts and can now cost a player plenty of personal capital and freedom.

With so many factors making the situation of a holdout seem like a gamble, what reasons does Saints’ running back Alvin Kamara for betting on himself?

There seems to be plenty of love for Kamara throughout the fanbase, but here’s why he can reasonably believe in himself should he decide to hold out for a bigger deal.