New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara wants a new contract. Now entering his age-29 season, the running back has publicly expressed the desire for a revised contract with more long-term security that accurately reflects his value to the team. While the former third-round pick is technically under contract for two more seasons, he has no guaranteed money beyond 2024. Without an extension, New Orleans will almost certainly cut him to rid themselves of his massive $29 million cap hit next year.
Fortunately, the Saints want to keep him around. While the NFL is a business at the end of the day, both Kamara and New Orleans have discussed a desire to come to terms on an extension. While nothing is finalized, SI’s Albert Breer notes that the Saints have a contract offer on the table for Alvin Kamara. While Breer’s report doesn’t mention the length or value of the deal, it’s good to see that the two sides are actively negotiating.
Report: Saints Have A Contract Offer For Alvin Kamara
Alvin Kamara is not the player he once was, but the five-time Pro Bowler is still the best running back on this roster by a comfortable margin. Last year, Kamara led the team with 694 rushing yards and five touchdowns on 180 carries while adding an additional 75 receptions for 466 yards and one score. While these numbers aren’t too special, the advanced metrics imply he’s better than his underwhelming 3.9 yards per carry would suggest. In 2023, he ranked 26th out of 59 eligible running backs in PFF grade while his 3.38 yards created per touched ranked 27th in the league.
The only other running backs of note on the roster are Jamaal Williams and Kendre Miller, and both players were substantially worse than Kamara last year. After leading the league with 17 touchdowns in 2022, Williams crashed and burned during his first season with the Saints, averaging just 2.9 yards per carry while scoring one controversy-laced touchdown. Rookie Kendre Miller, meanwhile, hardly saw the field.
The Kendre Miller Conundrum
Running back production tends to nosedive after a player’s age-27 season, which means the worst is yet to come with Alvin Kamara and his potential contract. While there are some exceptions to the rule, generally speaking, betting on outliers is a great way to go broke. For what it’s worth, this trend seems to hold true with Kamara, as he made the Pro Bowl in his age 22-26 seasons but couldn’t crack the roster during his 27- and 28-year-old seasons.
If the Saints had a better backup running back, they might not want to give Alvin Kamara a new contract. However, they don’t have anyone on the roster capable of handling Kamara’s workload. Kendre Miller was supposed to be that guy, as New Orleans used a third-round pick on him in the 2023 NFL Draft. While it’s too early to completely give up on him, the early signs aren’t promising. Miller batted injuries as a rookie and is already missing practice, and head coach Dennis Allen is fed up with the TCU product. Barring something completely unexpected, Alvin Kamara will probably lead this backfield for at least the next two seasons.
Main Photo: Kim Klement Neitzel – USA Today Sports
