Alvin Kamara's contract drama is still somewhere bubbling below the surface at the New Orleans Saints' 2024 training camp, so when he's suddenly missing from practice for a week with a somewhat vague explanation of back stiffness, the holdout questions are natural.
Saints head coach Dennis Allen was quick to shoot that idea down when it was brought up after Thursday's practice, the third this week that Kamara was not involved in.
"Zero related to contract," Allen said, before walking the conviction back to some extense.
"At least as far as I know, zero related," Allen continued. "He’s got some back tightness. This is something he’s dealt with before, so I certainly wouldn’t speculate.”
The contract is a question due to Kamara's early departure from minicamp earlier this year as he worked toward a new deal. To this point there hasn't been any forward momentum, at least publicly, toward getting such a deal done. The Saints have worked out one extension already this offseason, inking LB Pete Werner to a new, 3-year deal as he heads into a contract year.
Kamara showed up to training camp on time and was a full participant throughout much of the program with the exception of a veteran rest day. He made it clear there was no interest in collecting fines for not showing up, which the new collective bargaining agreement sets at a mandatory $50,000 penalty per day missed.
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“Until the deal is done that’s always going to be there, any time you get a nick with him or a bruise with him, because Alvin is so tough he normally fights through stuff like that," said WWL Radio's Deuce McAllister. "So for him not to be out here a couple of days it starts to raise like, wait, is this contract related, is this a sit-in? … Here’s the thing you have to remember, it’s preseason, so for a veteran like [Kamara], I don’t need him at practice every practice. You want him to get some good work in and so obivouly he’ll be able to still do so, and right now that’s not the concern.”
The Saints had most of their starters active, including Kamara, in the preseason opener against the Cardinals, but the first-team offense failed to get much traction. With joint practices against the 49ers canceled this week, it's likely we see a good number of starters again in Week 2 of the preseason.
The Saints have one more practice in Irvine, California scheduled for Friday before heading to San Fran for a Sunday night kickoff, then returning to New Orleans where they'll finish out camp. That slate includes a pair of open practices, with fans invited to attend sessions at Tulane's Yulman Stadium and another at the Caesars Superdome.
The Saints close out their preseason slate at home against the Titans before kicking off their regular season in the same building on Sept. 8 against the Carolina Panthers.