NEW ORLEANS — The New Orleans Saints are “getting close” to determining plans for running back Alvin Kamara, coach Kellen Moore said. Kamara, who turns 31 on July 25, is due $11.5 million in the final season of his contract. His long-term standing with the club has been uncertain since the signing of free agent Travis Etienne Jr., who landed a four-year deal averaging $11.8 million.
Moore described the situation as part of the offseason process, noting the team is still building and finalizing pieces during Phase Three. “We understand that during OTAs … naturally there’s different things popping up in phase three, but yeah, we’re getting close,” Moore said. He has repeatedly said the organization will work through the offseason process and continue evaluating the roster.
Kamara has not participated in the voluntary portions of the Saints’ offseason program in several years, routinely skipping OTAs and attending mandatory minicamp in June. The contract extension he signed in October 2024 includes a de-escalator that would reduce his base salary by $358,000 if he does not attend 100 percent of OTAs.
General manager Mickey Loomis said the upcoming OTAs present a timeline to resolve the issue but are not a “hard and fast” deadline. Loomis tied Kamara’s status to his contract and outlined the options available to the team, which include seeking a pay cut, releasing him after June 1 or trading him.
Loomis noted the cap implications of those choices: keeping Kamara at his current deal would count $10.4 million against the salary cap, while releasing him after June 1 would save $3.3 million in 2026 cap space. “We’re just trying to see how he’s going to fit in our roster and obviously there’s a resource management element to it and we’ll get to that over the next week or two,” Loomis said.
