NEW ORLEANS (AP) — New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara reached an agreement Wednesday to restructure his contract ahead of the upcoming season.
Kamara’s agent, Bradley Cicala, confirmed the deal to The Associated Press, adding that his client wants to stay put. “His goal is to remain with the Saints,” Cicala said.
Questions about Kamara’s future in New Orleans surfaced back in March when the Saints inked free-agent running back Travis Etienne to a four-year deal worth $52 million. Kamara, who turns 31 this season, had been in the final year of a two-year, $24.5 million extension he signed prior to the 2024 campaign.
Neither Cicala nor Saints general manager Mickey Loomis revealed the financial specifics of the restructured agreement. However, Loomis had hinted at a pay reduction back in May, saying there was a “resource management element” involved in keeping Kamara on the roster this season.
Although the new contract is designed to ease Kamara’s impact on the 2026 salary cap, it does not rule out the possibility of the Saints trading him.
Last season was a difficult one for Kamara, who battled through a knee injury and finished with career-worst numbers — appearing in just 11 games, rushing for 471 yards and one touchdown, and adding 186 receiving yards with no receiving scores.
That stands in sharp contrast to the start of his career. When Kamara entered the league in 2017, he earned AP Offensive Rookie of the Year honors and helped the Saints reach the playoffs in each of the next four seasons under head coach Sean Payton and Hall of Fame quarterback Drew Brees.
Since Brees hung up his cleats after the 2020 season, however, New Orleans has not returned to the postseason. The team is now on its second head coach since that era ended, with Kellen Moore taking the reins after serving as Philadelphia’s offensive coordinator and winning a Super Bowl during the 2024 season.
