Alvin Kamara has a big decision to make as Saints training camp approaches

The New Orleans Saints rookies have already reported for training camp; they arrived on Tuesday, July 16. Soon, the veterans will arrive, with their report date set for July 23. With practice officially scheduled to begin on July 24, the Saints still have some important business to take care of.

Star running back Alvin Kamara still has an unresolved contract situation. The veteran running back left mandatory minicamp before the final practice, and his agent quickly made it clear the departure was contract related. Entering the 2024 season, Kamara has two years left on his current deal, however, since he’s due north of $25 million in 2025, everyone understands that this upcoming season is really the final year of the contract.

With that in mind, Kamara has been seeking an extension or a restructured deal, either giving him some long-term security or more money this season. The Saints, however, haven’t budged. Soon, it’ll be time to report for training camp, and the situation is the same as it was when Kamara left minicamp.

That means the veteran running back has a big decision to make ahead of his eighth season in the NFL.

Will Alvin Kamara hold out of Saints training camp?

While New Orleans has the power to resolve this situation, the ball is actually in Kamara’s court. He’s under contract, so the team doesn’t have to do anything. Kamara must decide how far he’s willing to go to make his voice heard.

Will he report for camp on Tuesday or will he hold out? Will he show up and hold in (the act of being present but not participating in any activities)? Those approaches open him up to the possibility of fines. Again, since he is under contract, a hold out could get extremely expensive.

The last time Kamara was up for an extension was in 2020. During that year’s training camp, he missed five practices towards the end of August, then signed his extension shortly after in September. However, the missed practices were supposedly because of an injury, not a hold out.

All of this could be resolved by Tuesday if the Saints give Kamara a reworked two-year deal. It wouldn’t be shocking if that happened, as teams often make buzzer-beating moves. If it doesn’t happen, Kamara must decide how he’s going to make sure he gets his money.

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