Travis Etienne Jr. Inks Deal With Saints; Is New Orleans Moving On From Alvin Kamara?

Going through the signing of Travis Etienne Jr. with the New Orleans Saints, and the impacts it has fantasy football-wise and roster-wise for New Orleans.

Jacksonville Jaguars running back Travis Etienne Jr. (1) is introduced before an NFL football game at EverBank Stadium, Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025, in Jacksonville, Fla. The Jaguars defeated the Colts 36-19. | Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Deals are coming to fruition at a rapid rate, with the start of the NFL free agency negotiating period, which opened up at 12:00 p.m. EST on Monday, March 9. In the many ongoing agreements reached in the league, a surprising deal came to the surface. That being an agreement reached with former Jacksonville Jaguars RB Travis Etienne Jr. with the New Orleans Saints.

Alvin Kamara’s Future in New Orleans 

Nov 9, 2025; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara (41) walks off the field after the game at Bank of America Stadium. | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

The immediate question that comes with the signing of Etienne Jr. in New Orleans is what the Saints will do with their franchise-leading rusher, Alvin Kamara. The 2017 Saint draftee is coming off his worst season statistically in his career in 2025. He logged 471 rushing yards and had just 186 receiving yards. Both marks are career lows. With this play from Kamara, and the team in the middle of a rebuild period, it makes sense for New Orleans to move off Kamara at 30 years old and pivot to a slightly younger and better option in Etienne Jr. at 27 years of age.

The former Jaguars’ RB, after a down year in 2024, rebounded with one of the best years of his career statistically in 2025. Last season, he ran for 1,107 rushing yards, had 292 receiving yards, and had 13 TDs (career-high).

Fantasy Football Impact Of Travis Etienne Jr. Signing 

Although this move feels like the calling card for Kamara to be a part of a new team in 2026, that is not yet final. If the two, Kamara and Etienne Jr., were to pair together and be a two-RB tandem for the Saints, both their stocks in fantasy football in 2026 would take a hit. But if the Saints do choose to deal Kamara, Etienne Jr. as the lead RB in New Orleans, fantasy stock would see a slight boost.

The Saints, although they were one of the worst rushing attacks in the NFL last season, averaging the fourth-fewest rushing yards per game in the league, are making a clear effort to change that tune in 2026. This is true even outside their signing of Etienne Jr. 

Saints signing guard David Edwards to a deal worth upwards of $15M per year. (via @rapsheet) pic.twitter.com/0JknDwCfjf

— NFL (@NFL) March 9, 2026

New Orleans signed former Buffalo Bills guard David Edwards. The addition of the former Bills guard should help in creating bigger gaps in the run game, compared to what Kamara saw in 2025. Also, Etienne Jr., in the current look of the Saints roster, is the second-best offensive playmaker they have. Based on what Etienne Jr. showed last season as both a rusher and pass catcher out of the backfield, the Saints should be more than comfortable making him a crucial part of their offensive attack next season.

As far as the outlook for Kamara’s fantasy football stock in 2026, if he gets dealt in a trade, it would most certainly not be a positive. At this point in his career, an NFL team will likely not acquire him to be their lead RB. It would not be surprising to see him take a change of pace, third and long RB2 role if he gets sent to a new location.