New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara is looking for a new contract, and he has the full support of his teammate Jamaal Williams in the process.
“Me personally, just as me as a man, I respect everybody as the man they are and the decisions they make as a man,” Williams said on The Insiders, via Bobby Kownack of NFL.com. “So whatever they do is up to them. Me at all times, I support them and whatever they do because I just love that for them and who they are as a person, and Alvin is a tremendous, great teammate, awesome person, 100 percent.”
Kamara left Saints mandatory minicamp early amid negotiations. The five-time Pro Bowler has two years remaining on his deal and is slated to earn $10.2 million in base salary this year. He has $22.4 million on tap for 2025, but the problem is that none of it is guaranteed.
This has led to the halfback wanting a reworked contract to provide him some security moving forward.
“But for my teammates and all, we know what it is,” added Williams. “We know that it's just business, and at the same time, we've still got to keep pushing and doing what we need to do for ourselves to make sure the team is good.”
Is Alvin Kamara deserving of a new deal from the Saints?
There is no doubting Kamara's career accomplishments.
Over the first several years of his NFL tenure, Kamara was one of the best all-purpose backs in the NFL. While he never posted 1,000 yards rushing, he hauled in over 80 receptions in each of his first four seasons, and in 2020, he led the league with 21 rushing and receiving touchdowns.
Not only that, but Kamara was incredibly efficient over that stretch, averaging an incredible 6.1 yards per carry during his rookie campaign in 2017 and then logging 4.6, 4.7 and five yards per attempt, respectively, over each of the next four years.
Since then, however, the 28-year-old has seen his efficiency dip significantly.
Over the last three seasons, Kamara has tallied 3.7, four and 3.9 yards per tote. On top of that, he missed four games in 2023, with three of them coming as a result of a suspension for off-the-field issues (he also suffered an ankle injury in Week 17). His production as a receiver has also decreased rather drastically, with Kamara catching 47 and 57 passes in 2021 and 2022. He did manage to nab 75 grabs last year, but he averaged a career-low 6.2 yards per reception, while below his lifetime average of 8.4.
Taking all of that into consideration, you can understand why the Saints may have some pause when it comes to providing Kamara with a new deal.
He hasn't played at an elite level in four years, and with New Orleans having financial constraints as it is, giving Kamara more guaranteed money or an extension would probably not be the wisest allocation of resources.
The Saints went 9-8 and missed the playoffs last season, marking the third straight year New Orleans failed to qualify for the postseason.
We'll see if Kamara and the Saints can smooth things over before training camp.
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