Alvin Kamara, Saints trade talk could get real soon (and his new team is obvious)

Alvin Kamara has stated he’d rather retire than play for a team other than the New Orleans Saints. He’s surely not the first player to say that then backpedal. The signing of Travis Etienne opens the door to test that theory, and Sean Payton could be just the right motivation to make Kamara reverse course. 

A Kamara trade has been the topic of conversation for a few years at this point, but 2026 could be the year all the forces come together. Saints have a new lead back, and Payton's Broncos conveniently have a need at the position. In addition to reuniting with the coach that used him the best, the Broncos give Kamara a good chance to win his first Super Bowl. A trade to Denver would do the legend a solid on his way out.

Here's the thing. It still takes someone on the Saints side to say let's make the deal, whether that's Kamara pushing for it or the front office being more open to a trade. It sounds like Kellen Moore wants to keep Kamara, but that could all change in the NFL Draft.

Saints can make a splash draft day trade by dealing Alvin Kamara

Bleacher Report's Kristopher Knox already has the trade drawn up. The Saints send Kamara to the Broncos for a conditional sixth round pick in return. The value obviously takes a pretty steep dip after turning 30.

If it was one thing that would make the Saints more open to this deal, it would be the right running back falling to them in the third to fourth round. The Saints do that, and we should all be on instant trade watch for the rest of the draft.

Kamara can work with Etienne. He'd obviously be a complement to the free agency signing, but there's still a significant role there. Drafting a running back that early suggests the Saints have found a new complement for Etienne, and that leaves Kamara on the outside looking in.

A conditional sixth rounder isn't much, but this isn't expected to be a lucrative trade. The Saints may also look to get compensation in this year's draft opposed to next year's draft. That's one benefit of making the deal on draft day instead of afterwards. It's a possibility without the Saints drafting a running back, but if they do, it turns into an expectation.