NEWYou can now listen to Pakinomist articles!
New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara unexpectedly showed up for voluntary offseason workouts Wednesday and said he was “literally” in bed a day earlier thinking to himself, “Eh, I’m going tomorrow.”
Kamara, who usually skips optional team practice to work out on his own and had missed the previous week’s work at Saints headquarters, appeared to relish the opportunity to surprise teammates and coaches.
“Obviously, a little bit unexpected,” coach Kellen Moore said.
“It’s good to see him,” Moore added. “Excited to spend some time with him, see where he is.”
Kamara, meanwhile, could get a better sense of the Saints’ plans for him as his 31st birthday and 10th NFL season approaches.
The career Saint is entering the final year of his contract, and uncertainty about his future with New Orleans has only grown since the club signed free agent running back Travis Etienne to a four-year, $52 million deal.
“When you’re navigating some of the business stuff, signing Travis and kind of navigating how all those pieces work together, it’s always a little bit of a challenge when you’re building your roster,” Moore said Wednesday.
It would arguably be unwise for the Saints to pay Etienne starting money while paying Kamara in full on his two-year, $24.5 million extension that went into effect last season.
This offseason, general manager Mickey Loomis and Moore have hinted that Kamara could be traded or released if he doesn’t want to renegotiate his contract to make it more team-friendly under the salary cap.
Kamara has been receptive to the prospect of playing with Etienne, saying: “I think we will complement each other well,” and was vague on Wednesday about whether he could agree to new terms.
“I haven’t had any conversations in regards to that. So I don’t know,” Kamara said. “There is a time and a place for everything, and if that conversation comes up, I have an answer for you.”
Meanwhile, Kamara shows no signs of anxiety or displeasure over his uncertain future.
“I wouldn’t say it’s uncomfortable for me,” Kamara said. “For my part, I feel no pressure; there is no beef or bad blood. I do what I do every year and work. If there are decisions to be made, they are made.
“I’m still under contract here. So I’m a Saint,” Kamara added. “If something happens, we’ll go from there.”
Battling through a knee injury last season, Kamara posted career-lows in games (11), yards and touchdowns rushing (471 and one), and yards and touchdowns receiving (186 and zero).
It’s a far cry from the start of Kamara’s career in 2017, when he was named the AP Offensive Rookie of the Year in what was the first of four straight playoff campaigns for the Saints under coach Sean Payton and Hall of Fame quarterback Drew Brees.
But the Saints have not made the playoffs since Brees retired after the 2020 season and are on their second coach since then. Moore was hired after winning a Super Bowl as Philadelphia’s offensive coordinator in the 2024 season.
“I’m used to winning. So it’s been a break here for a while,” Kamara said. “It’s a shame. It’s annoying. It’s frustrating when you’re a part of it, when you know what it can be, what it’s like to win.”
Linebacker Demario Davis, a leader from those playoff teams, left in free agency. Other unsigned veterans include defensive end Cameron Jordan, the club’s all-time sack leader, and Taysom Hill, who serves as a tight end, running back, backup QB and special teams leader.
For Kamara, not seeing those players in the locker room “stings a little bit, but you have to be realistic.”
“I’ll be ready and we’ll see what happens,” Kamara said. “It’s a two-way business, you know, on the team side and the player side … Nothing catches me off guard.”
Asked if he expected to be back in the Big Easy next week, Kamara said, “I might be. New Orleans is a beautiful city.”
Report from the Associated Press.
