The drama between the New Orleans Saints and Alvin Kamara has finally come to an end. After months of uncertainty and vague quotes from the front office, NewOrleans.Football’s Nick Underhill broke the news that Kamara and the Saints have agreed to a reworked deal that’ll keep Kamara in New Orleans in 2026.Â
It’s a story that felt like it would never end, and this was the felt like the absolute last time to do it. Going into training camp with this monkey on their back would have created an even larger distraction than it already was, and it would have been unacceptable to drag this on any longer.
The deal gives security for this year, and that's all fans can really ask for. It would be nice if it meant Kamara was going to be a lifelong Saint or if he confirmed he'd retire after the season like Cam Jordan, but that's not the case. It'll ultimately be a year by year case for Kamara and the Saints moving forward, even if the deal isn't a one-year contract.
Saints keeping Alvin Kamara was just a good football move
There was never a moment where Saints fans, as a conglomerate, wanted Alvin Kamara anywhere other than New Orleans. Though a big part of that was sentimental, evaluate the roster and you'll come to the same conclusion. For whatever bad blood has been speculated from the front office, it was always going to be hard to rationalize letting Kamara go from a football standpoint.
The Saints are a flat out better team with Kamara on the roster. He will likely play second fiddle to Travis Etienne Jr., but he will be incredibly valuable to the team. Kamara is also still clearly better than the young running backs on the team.
Kellen Moore is known for running the football, and having two running backs keeps the pressure on the defense. His run game has typically been with a bell cow, and maybe Etienne will be that in New Orleans. He won't have to be, however.
Whether he and Kamara have a 60/40 split or a wider discrepancy, both players are massive threats to the defense. The improved offensive line should give Kamara more opportunities than he's seen recently. The entire running back room was consistently hit or had to make defenders miss in the backfield on running plays.
The reason it always felt like this was the eventual outcome is because it was always the most logical outcome. Money certainly had to line up, but at the end of the day, the likeliest scenario was the front office making the best move for the team with emotions out of it. That decision was always finding a way to keep Kamara, and now they have.
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