Saints Reportedly Open to Trading Alvin Kamara Amid Heated Contract Negotiations

Alvin Kamara had limited success during his two seasons at Tennessee, but after being selected in the third round of the 2017 NFL Draft, he was able to become one of the best players the league had to offer. However, Kamara, who is known for his unique versatility at the running back position, is now reportedly engaged in heated contract negotiations with New Orleans as the season is looming on the horizon.

Kamara is entering the final year of his contract with the Saints, and as the two sides have debated over the details of a new contract, reports surfaced claiming that Kamara has been skipping training camp due to the lack of a deal. As the negotiations raged on, the Saints reportedly became even more frustrated with Kamara, as they are now reportedly open to trading the former Volunteer according to a report from Josina Anderson of Bleacher Report.

According to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network, Kamara and his agent were blindsided by the report and claim that they were in active negotiations with the Saints, and that the running back at no point threatened to skip the season. The agent also revealed that Kamara had not requested a trade, and was fully planning on suiting up in bronze and black this season for the team.

Kamara is set to earn $2,376,193 this season, which is good enough to be ranked as the second highest paid running back on the team. The former Vol makes less than his back-up Latavius Ray, who is set to earn nearly double than Kamara.

Kamara is likely motivated by numerous high-profile running backs who have earned historically large contracts this off-season — Joe Mixon and Derrick Henry are set to make roughly $12 million from their contracts, in addition to Christian McCaffery, who signed the most valuable contract for a running back in NFL history over the off-season.

However, if the Saints are not willing to pay Kamara the money he feels he has earned, then they will probably have no issue rolling forward with their other options; although it is evident that the team would like to keep the former Volunteer if possible. With the NFL season quickly approaching, a definitive announcement regarding Kamara’s future in Louisiana soon is likely imminent.