Travis Etienne and Alvin Kamara have the makings of a great two headed monster for the New Orleans Saints at running back. In some ways, it would be a perfect passing of the torch to see both running backs in the backfield at the same time. There's even some thought that this move is a prelude to Kamara stepping away from the game entirely.
Etienne was the biggest splash for the Saints on the opening day of free agency. It was also something that fans have been desperately looking for. Now that they have it it seems like they may lose a Saints legend.
As is the case in the show the Highlander sometimes there can only be one. That’s exactly what some analysts are predicting. With Etienne agreeing to terms on his contract this week, the odd man out would be Kamara.
Multiple analysts are questioning Alvin Kamara's future with the Saints and in the NFL at all
The Saints aren't giving Etienne an average of $13 million to be a complementary back. That's not just lead back money. It's "the guy" money, so it naturally brings questions about the guy who was "the guy before. The Saints' unique restructure of Kamara's contract before free agency only adds fuel to the fire.
There's two schools of thought when it comes to questioning Kamara's future. Is he just leaving the Saints, or will the running back step away from the game of football entirely? Both explain why the Saints paid a premium at the position this offseason.
NFL insider Ian Rapoport put the idea of out in the air of Kamara retiring shortly after Etienne agree to terms with the Saints. It wasn't trending that way when Kamara appeared to training for a new season earlier this offseason.
Later in the day ESPN's Adam Schefter reported teams are interested in seeing if Kamara is on the table. There was no report of what the Saints are planning. It's just interesting that teams are monitoring the situation because it means teams are questioning his security just like the media is.
The reports are flowing, but there's nothing concrete out there yet. It would be wrong to dismiss the reports as being outlandish, as it's far from far fetched. At the same time, Kamara and Etienne being a duo shouldn't be ruled out. It would be the best thing for the Saints in 2026 anyway.