Alvin Kamara Reports to Saints OTAs. Moore Says, ‘That Room Can Always Use Some Depth.’

For those Who Dats who still think Alvin Kamara still has something left in the tank and can provide a glimpse of the old Alvin Kamara this coming season, there was some great news Wednesday as he showed up at New Orleans Saints OTAs.

However, that’s just the first step, and it remains unclear on whether he will be a part of the team’s immediate future, including whether he will still be here when the Saints open the 2026 season at Detroit on Sept. 13.

Wearing a Baltimore Orioles cap and a Saints t-shirt after practice, Kamara sounded like a player who wants to be here when interviewed by the local press. He also sounded like a player who doesn’t have a grasp on what his future in New Orleans entails.

“I always have the same message. I am here, and I am gonna do what I got to do,” said Kamara, who did participate in drills Wednesday. “I feel like there are conversations that may need to be had. They may have already been had, might not have been had.

“I am just gonna do what I do. I am doing the same thing I do every year, and that is train and be ready. We’ll see what happens.”

Plenty of trade speculation

There has been a ton of speculation on whether Kamara will be here, but not just in New Orleans. A huge question is whether Kamara even wanted to play football in 2026. The fact that he showed up – one would think answers that question.

So if the Saints don’t decide to keep him, what would they do? Would they just outright cut him? Since they save almost nothing cap-wise by doing so, one would think it would be more likely to trade him if they could find a partner.

Where does Alvin Kamara's salary rank among running backs in the #NFL? Spoiler alert: Way higher than all the other backup RBs. https://t.co/gvcU9ZnYmp #Saints
— Jim Derry (@JimDerryJr) May 20, 2026

Kamara, who is in the final year of a two-year, $24.5 million deal, will count $10.5 million against the cap. That’s sixth in the NFL behind only Indianapolis’ Jonathan Taylor ($15.6 million), Green Bay’s Josh Jacobs ($14.5 million), LA Rams’ Kyren Williams ($11.65 million), NY Jets’ Breece Hall ($11.5 million) and San Francisco’s Christian McCaffrey ($10.9 million).

Would a team be willing to take on some or all of that salary? Would the Saints be willing to eat most of it to continue with their youth movement?

‘That room could use some depth’

Coach Kellen Moore didn’t spend a whole lot of time talking about the nine-year veteran, who is the team’s all-time leading rusher, and he said he didn’t know anything about the status of Kamara’s contract. But one thing he did say clearly stood out.

“I don’t know the business, contractual side of this thing; I don’t think anything necessarily has been done there,” said Moore, who is entering his second season at the helm. It was good to see him. This time of year, he’s not always here, similar to last year. …

“Traditionally, he prepares away from New Orleans. Signing Travis (Etienne) and navigating how all these pieces work together is always part of the challenge in building your roster. … Certainly, he could fit in really well from an offensive standpoint. Some of the schematic stuff we’re trying to improve on and get better – that room can always use some depth.”

Amid uncertainty surrounding his future with the Saints, Alvin Kamara reported to voluntary offseason workouts today, something he doesn't traditionally do.

Here's what Saints HC Kellen Moore said about the star running back being back in the building pic.twitter.com/rtzd0aqy0K
— Kendall Duncan (@kendallduncanTV) June 3, 2026

When talking about a guy who is on the Mount Rushmore for some fans, when a coach uses the term “can always use some depth,” that doesn’t go a long way to make anyone think Kamara is part of future plans.

Production dipped greatly in 2025

There’s little question Kamara’s age-30 season was the first real major dip in production in his career. It also leads to the question: Can a player regain his old form after hitting 30?

No one can say “the offensive line stunk, and there were quarterback issues” in 2025, because the same thing could be said about 2024, but Kamara had one of his better seasons.

Two seasons ago, he collected just shy of 1,500 total yards of offense on 21.1 touches per game and 5.04 yards per touch. Last season, he had 657 yards of total offense on 14.9 touches per game and 4.01 yards per touch.

It's not the Saints' M.O., especially of late, but you could make a case for the team to cut Alvin Kamara. @PFF recently forecast the possibility this way:

"Kamara’s 51.7 PFF grade was dead last among 59 running backs in 2025, and by far the lowest of his career. His production…
— Jeff Duncan (@JeffDuncan_) March 3, 2026

And with the signing of Etienne this past March, Kamara – if on this team – becomes a player who likely would touch the ball 10 to 14 times per game while still being the sixth-highest paid running back in the NFL (barring a pay cut).

In other words, most of the same questions that existed before Kamara’s arrival on Wednesday remain afterward and will remain until the team addresses the issue.

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