The New Orleans Saints and Alvin Kamara aren't done yet.
The longtime Saints running back and the team have agreed to terms on a reworked deal that will include a pay cut, news first report from NewOrleans.football. The decision is one that would appear to add clarity to a murky situation and question that hung over the Saints offseason. The specifics of the deal were not immediately available.
"Alvin goal, and the team's goal, was for him to remain with the Saints and retire a Saint," said Kamara's agent Brad Cicala, via the NFL Network's MIke Garafolo.
Kamara, 30, had been set to go into the final year of his contract with a cap number that represented one of the highest for a RB in the NFL. The Saints had also made a splash signing of RB Travis Etienne during free agency, a 27-year-old and Louisiana native who was expected to be the lead back regardless of how things landed with Kamara.
Both Saints GM Mickey Loomis and head coach Kellen Moore left the door open during comments to the media, but were noncommittal throughout the offseason about how the situation would resolve. Both Kamara and Etienne have made it clear they were eager to play with one another. Kamara has stated multiple times that his desire was to stay in New Orleans for his entire career and had no interest in being traded.
Kamara is coming off career low production in rushing and receiving, with a pair of injuries costing him the final stretch of each of the 2024 and 2025 seasons, but he's enjoyed some of his best production in tandem backfields. The Saints have also made an investment in the offensive line with the signing of LG David Edwards in free agency.
The Saints also opted to bring back veteran edge rusher Cam Jordan this offseason for one more season, though Demario Davis departed to the Jets in free agency and Taysom Hill remains a free agent.
It remains to be seen exactly how the Saints choose to split up their backfield, but for at least one more season Kamara will remain in black and gold and build on his franchise-leading career rushing total. The Saints are set to report for training camp on July 28, with the first practice scheduled for the following morning.
