Saints Reach Extension With Alvin Kamara
The Saints and five-time Pro Bowl running back Alvin Kamara are in agreement on a two-year, $24.5MM contract extension, per NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo.
Kamara was under contract for one more year, but the Saints were not expected to carry his non-guaranteed $22.4MM salary in 2025. Kamara’s new deal will lower his cap hit in 2025 by $18MM, per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, and keep him in New Orleans through the 2026 season, giving Kamara a chance at retiring a Saint.
More than $22MM of his new money is effectively fully guaranteed, according to Garafolo, though Kamara’s per-year average dropped from $15MM to $12.75MM from his first to his second extension. The former Sean Payton chess piece had agreed to a five-year, $75MM extension before the 2020 season; that contract had paid out its guarantees and resided as the longest-running active RB deal.
Kamara, 29, made his desire for a new deal clear over the summer when he left mandatory minicamp a day early, though he reported to training camp on time. He continued to negotiate with the Saints as the season approached, but the two sides appeared to be at an impasse in September, indicating that extension talks would continue in the offseason. The veteran running back even became the subject of trade rumors with New Orleans losing five straight games after opening the season 2-0.
Kamara’s extension will take him out of the trade market and solidify him as the Saints’ long-term running back, even as the team faces massive cap obstacles in the next few seasons. While other players like Marshon Lattimore may become too expensive to retain, New Orleans furthered its commitment to Kamara as the most proven and productive player on its offense — one in dire need of proven playmakers given the injuries at wide receiver.
The eight-year veteran was drafted by the Saints in the third round of the 2017 NFL Draft and received Pro Bowl nods in each of his first four seasons. That earned Kamara the five-year, $75MM payday in 2020; that deal established him as the second-highest-paid running back in the league behind Christian McCaffrey. Kamara’s new APY will drop him to third behind Jonathan Taylor, though he remains ahead of Saquon Barkley and Josh Jacobs. In terms of guarantees at signing, Kamara has managed to make his way toward that list’s ceiling as well. His $22MM at signing trails only McCaffrey and Barkley.
Kamara’s extension is somewhat of a surprise after negotiations with the Saints appeared to fizzle during the preseason, with both sides focusing on the 2024 season ahead of them. However, Kamara has been New Orleans’ most consistent offensive player this year as several other playmakers – including quarterback Derek Carr and wide receiver Rashid Shaheed – have dealt with injuries behind a rotating offensive line. Kamara’s 145 touches lead the league, and he is averaging one touchdown and just under 100 yards from scrimmage per game.
Kamara accepted a pay cut from his last contract with the Saints in exchange for full guarantees on almost 90% of his new money, continuing a league trend of decreasing running back contracts as players sacrifice total earning potential for more security with guaranteed money. The Tennessee alum has done very well for himself, even as RB value has stagnated in the modern NFL. The guarantees on this third Saints contract will bump him past $70MM in career earnings.
With the Saints committing to Kamara, other NFL teams will now turn their attention to players like Lattimore and Carl Granderson as potential trade targets as New Orleans — having dropped from 2-0 to 2-5 — potentially looks to shed contracts to clear up future cap space.
Latest On Saints-Alvin Kamara Negotiations
Alvin Kamara walked out on the final day of the Saints’ minicamp as part of his effort to secure a new contract. No agreement was reached, but the veteran back has enjoyed a stellar start to the season while putting negotiations on hold.
A deal was within reach at times during the offseason. As Ian Rapoport of NFL Network writes, talks on a new pact took place throughout the spring with a resolution appearing to be “close” at points during that process. At issue, to no surprise, was the 2025 season. The final year of Kamara’s deal calls for a non-guaranteed base salary of $22.4MM and an untenable cap hit of just over $29MM. Both team and player have operated on the assumption that year will not play out as it is currently projected to.
New Orleans’ efforts to work out an agreement were aimed to attaining clarity for 2025 (and, no doubt, lowering Kamara’s cap hit in the process). The 29-year-old sought a market-level agreement with respect to guaranteed compensation, a price point which changed as the offseason unfolded. Saquon Barkley landed an Eagles deal averaging over $12.5MM per season; that pact includes $26MM in locked in compensation. Christian McCaffrey then agreed to a 49ers extension and in doing so moved the top of the RB market to $19MM per season.
Kamara sits second at an AAV of $15MM, but that figure is inflated by his projected 2025 earnings. The Barkley and McCaffrey accords, Rapoport notes, altered the nature of negotiations between Kamara and the Saints. The sides were unable to come to terms on a pact including a new figure for 2025 but also years tacked onto that point, resulting in the eventual stalemate.
A strong season would help the five-time Pro Bowler’s chances of landing another lucrative Saints contract in the spring. Kamara racked up 110 scrimmage yards in the season opener, then topped that with a four-touchdown showing in Week 2 which included 180 total yards. New Orleans’ offense has been impressive to date, and remaining a focal point for the unit would increase his leverage during the next round of contract talks.
Kamara is due a $2MM roster bonus on the fifth day of the 2025 league year, so it would come as no surprise if a new arrangement were to be in place before that point. It will be interesting to see how the rest of the campaign unfolds as it pertains to Kamara’s production after he had a career-low output in 2023. A mutual interest clearly exists between team and player, though, and the coming offseason is unlikely to see as many financial developments at the running back position as the 2024 one, meaning clarity could emerge in this case.
Saints RB Alvin Kamara Prepared To Pause Contract Talks Until 2025
Alvin Kamara made it clear he was interested in an adjustment to his contract this offseason. No arrangement was made between the Pro Bowl back and the Saints, however, and both parties’ attention will now turn to the 2024 campaign.
Kamara has two years remaining on his contract, but the 2025 season currently calls for a non-guaranteed base salary of $22.4MM. New Orleans would have a cap charge of just over $29MM next season in the absence of a restructure, a release or a trade sending Kamara to a new team. Knowing how unrealistic that scenario is, the 29-year-old left the Saints’ minicamp early as part of an effort to work out a new arrangement.
2024 has Kamara set to collect $11.8MM in what will all-but certainly be the final year of his $75MM 2020 extension. The running back market has not taken off like those of many other positions since that time, and his age is a factor working against his ability to land a lucrative third contract. Kamara did not engage in a training camp holdout as talks on a new deal took place. With the regular season at hand, though, the time for negotiations has passed and he is prepared to pick up negotiations in the spring (video link via Fletcher Mackel of WDSU).
Kamara was short on leverage in contract talks – which are not believed to have yielded much progress toward an agreement – entering the 2024 season given the term left on his deal. He could help his position with a strong campaign this year after he set a career low in rushing (694) and scrimmage (1,160) yards in 2023. The former Offensive Rookie of the Year missed three games due to suspension and was limited to only 12 contests last year; a fully healthy slate could lead to a rebound in production. Comments made on his situation earlier in the summer suggested Kamara would take this stance.
New Orleans also has veteran Jamaal Williams, 2023 third-rounder Kendre Miller and undrafted rookie Jordan Mims on the active roster in the backfield. Kamara is positioned to once again handle lead back duties this year, and his showing in that role will inform how the Saints proceed with his contract next offseason.
Alvin Kamara Addresses Contract Push
Operating as the NFL’s restructure standard bearers for years, the Saints have not touched Alvin Kamara‘s deal this offseason. The veteran running back’s contract, which the team adjusted multiple times since it was finalized in 2020, now looms as one that could generate significant savings for the perennially cap-strapped team come 2025.
No running back has been tied to a deal longer than Kamara, who saw the Bengals ship Joe Mixon (extended in September 2020) to the Texans and the Packers cut Aaron Jones (re-signed in March 2021). The 49ers redid Christian McCaffrey‘s contract this offseason, moving the reigning Offensive Player of the Year off the April 2020 extension that had not been topped. Kamara’s accord still sits second among RBs in terms of AAV, but the former Pro Bowler sees how this process will likely play out.
Kamara left minicamp a day early due to a pursuit of a new deal but reported to training camp on time. Elaborating on his stance Wednesday, the eighth-year RB said (via ESPN.com’s Katherine Terrell) he is not asking for “anything crazy” terms-wise.
He does not have too much choice in the matter, but the former Sean Payton-era chess piece said (via NewOrleans.football’s Nick Underhill) he will play on his current contract if the Saints do not agree to adjust it. (Though, when asked to clarify that stance, Kamara was less definitive, per NOLA.com’s Luke Johnson.) The former third-round pick is not holding in, participating fully in New Orleans’ practice Wednesday.
Just ahead of Kamara’s fourth season, the Saints gave him a five-year, $75MM deal but one that included a phony final season — along the lines of the deals Davante Adams and Tyreek Hill would sign two years later — to inflate the AAV. Kamara’s deal no longer contains any guarantees, though as a vested veteran, he would see his 2024 base salary ($10.2MM) lock in just before Week 1. In 2025, however, the Saints could cut Kamara and save $18.9MM. Considering Mickey Loomis‘ operation is again projected to enter its own sector when it comes to cap hell — early OverTheCap projections have New Orleans $88MM-plus over next year, $40MM more than any other team — Kamara’s pact would be a natural place to turn for savings.
Kamara, who will turn 29 on Thursday, has been open to a restructure. The Saints went to that well in 2022 and 2023. Another restructure would put more dead money on future New Orleans caps, stripping the team of rare flexibility. The sides have not made progress here; Kamara confirmed as much today. The Saints will not pay Kamara his $22.4MM base salary in 2025, creating this staredown.
“I want to be a Saint; I want to retire here,” Kamara said, via Johnson. “If I’ve got to play football somewhere else, I’ll probably be somewhere with my feet kicked up in Africa somewhere. I want to be a Saint.”
Being tied to a non-rookie deal for five seasons is fairly rare territory for a modern running back, as Kamara has done well to collect most of the extension’s money. Opening his career with five straight Pro Bowls, Kamara has slowed down. Last year’s 1,160-yard output from scrimmage marked a career-low number, and the ex-Drew Brees sidekick produced the fourth-worst rushing yards over expected number (minus-99) last season. Kamara has missed 10 games — due to injury and his 2023 suspension — since 2021.
Barring a substantial pay-cut agreement for 2025, Kamara is likely going into his final season with the Saints. Battling uphill in his effort to land a new contract, Kamara can attempt to use this season as a bounce-back opportunity for what could be his final notable NFL deal next year.
Saints RB Alvin Kamara In Attendance For Training Camp
Alvin Kamara is not satisfied with his contract status, but he will not engage in a hold out during training camp. The Saints running back has reported with the rest of the team’s veterans, per Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.football.
Players not on rookie contracts are subject to $50K in mandatory daily fines if they hold out. As a result, it comes as no surprise Kamara has elected to attend training camp as he continues to seek an a new or reworked deal. He could nevertheless engage in a hold in by declining to participate in on-field work.
The soon-to-be 29-year-old walked out of the final practice during minicamp, a move known to be tied to his financial situation. Kamara has two years remaining on his pact, but his scheduled 2025 compensation includes a non-guaranteed $22.5MM base salary. The coming campaign is therefore – for all intents and purposes – his walk year.
Team and player are not believed to be close to working out an agreement, and if that remains the case through the start of training camp Kamara may very well elect to stay off the field. The five-time Pro Bowler maintained his record of topping 1,100 scrimmage yards each year of his career in 2023 despite missing the first three games of the campaign through suspension. He is positioned to once again handle lead back duties in 2024.
Given the nature of the veteran running back market, though, even a strong season could make it difficult for Kamara to land another lucrative pact. The former third-rounder is open to incentives being added to his current deal – rather than an extension keeping him place beyond 2025. It will be interesting to see if progress is made in the coming days with respect to a resolution being found.
No Progress In Extension Talks Between Saints, Alvin Kamara
A number of receivers are at risk of skipping out the start of training camps around the NFL in the near future, but they are not alone in that respect. Saints running back Alvin Kamara‘s future is somewhat uncertain given his desire for a new deal.
The five-time Pro Bowler walked out of New Orleans’ final minicamp practice as a sign of his unhappiness with his current situation. He is on the books for two more years, but his 2025 salary ($22.4MM) is not guaranteed and has long been seen as a means of artificially inflating the overall value of his pact. With training camp looming, progress on negotiations will be a key storyline to follow for Kamara and the team.
On that note, traction does not appear to have been gained recently. Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.football notes team and player have not made notable progress with respect to a contract resolution (video link). Kamara, entering his age-29 season, represents a risky candidate for a new deal from the Saints’ perspective given the age at which running backs tend to drop off in terms of production. The former third-rounder is, though, open to a restructure to his existing pact rather than an extension tacking on several years to his New Orleans tenure.
Despite missing the first three games of the 2023 campaign through suspension, Kamara managed to top 1,100 scrimmage yards and score six total touchdowns. Talks on a new agreement have taken place during the offseason, but Underhill’s latest report echoes earlier ones suggesting nothing is imminent. Considering the state of the running back market (2024 notwithstanding), Kamara could be hard-pressed to land a notable raise on a new or reworked contract.
Several backs quickly found new homes during free agency this spring, and Christian McCaffrey secured a raise on a new 49ers pact. He leads the way in terms of AAV at the position ($19MM), while Kamara remains in second at $15MM. The latter figure will be altered one way or another considering the nature of the 2025 structure, but whether or not that happens in the immediate future remains to be seen. Kamara would be subject to $50K in mandatory daily fines if he engaged in a training camp holdout.
RB Alvin Kamara Open To Restructured Saints Deal
Alvin Kamara departed the Saints’ final day of minicamp early as a result of the unsettled nature of his contract. Two years remain on his current deal, but he is in essence a pending free agent.
Kamara’s scheduled 2025 compensation is $25MM, and it consists of a non-guaranteed base salary of $22.4MM. That final year has long been viewed as one which will not be played out along those lines, and an extension or restructure will all-but assuredly be needed to keep him in the fold beyond this season. The latter route is something Kamara appears to be amenable to.
Reported to be angling for an extension, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler noted during a recent SportsCenter appearance that the 28-year-old is also open to a restructure (video link). Such an agreement could increase his 2024 earnings (currently slated at $11.8MM) while providing assurances for next year. Unlike many other pacts, though, Kamara’s deal has not been adjusted this offseason by the Saints.
Talks on a resolution have taken place this offseason, but as Fowler confirms the sides are not close to an agreement. The nature of negotiations during the coming weeks will therefore be worth watching closely, as a training camp holdout would leave Kamara subject to $50K in daily fines were he to hold out. The five-time Pro Bowler recorded 1,160 scrimmage yards in 13 games last season, the lowest figure of his career but still a sign of his two-way skillset when on the field.
Lucrative contracts for veteran running backs have generally been a rare occurrence in recent years, although teams acted quickly during the 2024 offseason to make notable backfield additions. Christian McCaffrey also landed a raise on his new 49ers pact, and Kamara could be among those who benefits from a potential domino effect. It will be interesting to see if New Orleans pursues a new round of negotiations on either an extension or a restructure in the near future and how Kamara responds either way.
Contract Issue Prompts Alvin Kamara To Leave Saints Minicamp
The NFL’s restructure kingpins, the Saints have not touched Alvin Kamara‘s contract this offseason. Although the team has used the deal for cap savings in the past, the structure of the Pro Bowl running back’s deal points to 2024 serving as his de facto contract year.
Kamara’s five-year, $75MM extension runs through 2025, but the ’25 season features a nonguaranteed $22.4MM base salary that almost definitely will not be paid out. This situation brought a notable development Thursday. Kamara left the Saints’ facility before the team’s minicamp practice, per NewOrleans.football’s Nick Underhill, and NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport confirms the exit came about because of a contract issue.
The sides have engaged in discussions about the deal this offseason, according to Underhill, but they have not made progress toward a solution. The eighth-year back is indeed seeking an extension, NOLA.com’s Jeff Duncan adds. Kamara, who will turn 29 next month, is attached to a $10.2MM base salary for the 2024 season.
During a rather bleak period for running back value, Kamara became one of the winners. The versatile back locked down a $15MM-per-year deal — albeit with a dummy final year in place to inflate the AAV — just before the 2020 season. In terms of per-year value, that contract matched Ezekiel Elliott‘s for second — behind Christian McCaffrey‘s Panthers-constructed extension — among running backs. Kamara has done well to remain on the pact, but he is now the only NFL RB still attached to a deal he signed in 2020.
The NFL’s eight-figure-per-year RB club sustained hits in recent years. Before bringing back Elliott this offseason, the Cowboys jettisoned his six-year, $90MM deal. The Vikings moved Dalvin Cook‘s five-year, $63MM contract off the books in May 2023. These cuts came during an offseason in which the Packers and Bengals, respectively, gave Aaron Jones and Joe Mixon pay cuts. Following a major knee injury, Nick Chubb accepted a Browns pay cut. Jones, Mixon and Derrick Henry relocated this year and are tied to lower-level deals; though, Mixon still secured eight figures guaranteed on his multiyear Texans pact.
The RB landscape has changed during Kamara’s contract, but unlike the wide receiver market, no value spike has taken place. Kamara’s AAV still sits second — behind McCaffrey’s new two-year, $38MM 49ers extension — though Jonathan Taylor has since signed a three-year, $42MM deal that does not feature a phony final-season number. Only five RBs are now tied to eight-figure AAVs, with one of those deals — Josh Jacobs‘ — containing only $12.5MM guaranteed at signing. Kamara has done well on this contract, though it is not difficult to envision the Saints shedding it from their payroll in 2025.
Kamara, who served a three-game suspension in connection with an assault incident, finished with a career-low 1,160 scrimmage yards last season. Kamara’s minus-99 rushing yards over expected represented the fourth-worst number, per Next Gen Stats, last season. Kamara also ranked in the bottom 10 in RYOE in 2022, when he scored just four touchdowns and fumbled four times. While Kamara served as a central part of the Saints’ success over Drew Brees‘ final four seasons, he has not stood out in the two years since Sean Payton‘s departure.
The Saints can create $25MM in cap savings next year by designating Kamara as a post-June 1 cut, with Duncan adding there is “no way” the Saints keep Kamara on this contract beyond 2024. Going into this season with a Saints-high $18.6MM cap number, Kamara is tied to $29.1MM figure in 2025. The five-time Pro Bowler faces a $17K fine for skipping today’s workout. The focus will now turn toward training camp, as Kamara would face $50K fines for each day missed.
Saints’ Alvin Kamara, Colts’ Chris Lammons Issued Three-Game Suspensions
Not long after Alvin Kamara‘s sit-down with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, his disciplinary situation has been clarified. Kamara has been suspended three games for his role in a violent altercation dating back to February 2022 (Twitter link via ESPN’s Adam Schefter).
Kamara and Colts cornerback Chris Lammons were involved in an incident which initially resulted in criminal charges being filed. The latter will also be banned for the opening three games of the season, reports Tom Pelissero of NFL Network (Twitter link). Kamara and Lammons are not planning to appeal, Mark Maske of the Washington Post tweets, concluding this matter 18 months after the incident occurred.
Both players were indicted by a grand jury on felony charges in March, but they reached a settlement with the victim last month. Part of that process included pleading no contest to a misdemeanor, something which brought clarity to his legal status and thus paved the way for the league’s decision on the matter to be made. Kamara was initially feared to be facing a six-game suspension for violating the league’s personal conduct policy last season, but delays in court proceedings pushed his case into 2023.
Earlier this week, the 28-year-old met with Goodell to discuss potential punishments. It comes as little surprise that news of the suspension has quickly followed that summit. Kamara will miss games against the Titans, Panthers and Packers as a result of this action. He will be eligible to return to the lineup in Week 4, when the Saints play the Buccaneers.
When speaking to the media earlier today, Kamara repeated his remorse regarding the situation while indicating he was unsure how the league would proceed with respect to supplemental discipline. Now, his fate has been determined and New Orleans can move forward with the other members of its backfield, one which illustrates the team’s awareness a Kamara absence was likely.
The Saints signed veteran Jamaal Williams to a three-year deal in free agency, giving them an experienced backfield presence even without Kamara being available to start the season. New Orleans also selected Kendre Miller in the third round of this year’s draft to give them further insurance. Williams and Miller will carry the load during the first three weeks of the campaign, but Kamara will still be a focal point of the team’s offense upon return.
The former first-rounder failed to earn a Pro Bowl nod for the first time in his six-year career in 2022. Still, he managed to eclipse 1,300 scrimmage yards, something he has done every year in the NFL. Kamara will be hard-pressed to replicate that success with the missed time, but the Saints appear to be well-equipped to handle his short-term absence.
Lammons, meanwhile, signed in Indianapolis recently amidst the uncertainty surrounding his status. His ban will delay his Colts debut, but the team has a limited number of experienced corners especially in the wake of Isaiah Rodgers being suspended for the season and subsequently let go. A veteran of 42 games with the Chiefs, Lammons could see signficant playing time upon reinstatement.
Saints RB Alvin Kamara Plans To Meet With Roger Goodell
Saints running back Alvin Kamara recently resolved his criminal and civil cases stemming from his involvement in the assault of a man in a Las Vegas nightclub in February 2022. As PFR’s Sam Robinson observed when the resolution was reported, it is now much likelier that the league will hit Kamara with a suspension before the 2023 campaign gets underway. Before that happens, however, Kamara plans to have an in-person meeting with league commissioner Roger Goodell to tell his side of the story, as Jeff Duncan of NOLA.com reports.
Per Duncan, the Saints encouraged Kamara to set up the meeting in an attempt to reduce the size of his suspension, which could be up to six games. It is unclear when the meeting will take place, but it seems that Kamara and Goodell will get together in the next couple of days. Kamara has told reporters that he plans to meet with the media on Wednesday, August 2, saying, “I’ll talk to you all on August 2 after I talk to [Goodell].”
The Las Vegas incident represents the first off-field transgression in Kamara’s seven-year career, as Duncan observes. Nonetheless, it is a serious one, and GM Mickey Loomis has said that the league has not provided any timeline for its decision.
Kamara’s legal matter encountered frequent delays, leaving him free to play throughout the 2022 season. The Saints were less prepared for a Kamara ban last year, but the team has made preparations this offseason. New Orleans agreed to terms on a three-year, $12MM deal with former Packer and Lion Jamaal Williams — last season’s rushing touchdowns leader — and used a third-round pick on TCU back Kendre Miller.
Nonetheless, Kamara should remain the Saints’ top back whenever he is eligible to play, and he will continue to be a focal point of the club’s offense. He is coming off something of a down year, having scored just four total TDs in 2022, but he still posted nearly 1,400 all-purpose yards on 280 touches. While he is techincially under club control through 2025 on his $15MM/year contract, it seems unlikely he will make it to that season without being released or having his contract restructured (his base salary balloons to over $22MM in 2025). If Kamara should turn in a disappointing year in 2023, New Orleans could save some cap space by designating him a post-June 1 cut next year, though the team would also be saddled with a fair amount of dead money in that scenario.
The NFL has declined to comment on the Kamara-Goodell summit.