Saints Restructure Alvin Kamara's Contract, Raising Questions About His Future

The move provides cap flexibility, suggesting the team may part ways with the veteran running back.

Mar. 6, 2026 at 3:42pm

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The New Orleans Saints have restructured the contract of veteran running back Alvin Kamara, converting $10.155 million of his base salary into a signing bonus. This move saves the team $8.124 million in cap space, but also raises questions about Kamara's future with the team. Kamara, 30, is coming off the worst season of his career and has already hit the 30-year-old benchmark that often signals a decline for running backs.

Why it matters

Kamara has been a cornerstone of the Saints' offense for years, but his declining production and the team's cap concerns have led them to make this contract move, which could pave the way for his departure. The Saints' running back room is thin, so losing Kamara would leave them in need of backfield help heading into free agency.

The details

The Saints converted Kamara's $10.155 million base salary into a signing bonus, saving them $8.124 million in cap space. This unusual contract restructuring, rather than a standard base-to-bonus conversion, provides the team with more flexibility to potentially trade or release Kamara in the coming days.

  • Kamara is 30 years old and will turn 31 in July 2026.
  • Kamara is coming off a 2025 season in which he had just 471 rushing yards and 186 receiving yards, the worst numbers of his career.

The players

Alvin Kamara

A veteran running back who has spent his entire 7-year NFL career with the New Orleans Saints. Kamara is one of the longest-tenured players on the team but is coming off a down year and has reached the age where running backs often begin to decline.

Kellen Moore

The Saints' second-year head coach, who has been phasing Kamara out of the offense.

Kendre Miller

A Saints running back who remains under contract in 2026 but has not yet impressed enough to be considered a Week 1 starter.

Audric Estime

A Saints running back who remains under contract in 2026 but has not yet impressed enough to be considered a Week 1 starter.

Devin Neal

A Saints running back who remains under contract in 2026 but has not yet impressed enough to be considered a Week 1 starter.

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What they’re saying

“The Saints and Alvin Kamara have adjusted his contract, lowering his cap number for 2026 by $8 million. But as [Nick Underhill] notes, it's not a standard base salary-to-bonus conversion. Provides cap flexibility if he's not with the team. A situation to monitor...”

— Mike Garafolo, NFL Insider (Twitter)

What’s next

The Saints will need to decide in the coming days whether to trade or release Kamara, as the contract restructuring provides them with more flexibility to part ways with the veteran running back.

The takeaway

This contract move by the Saints highlights the difficult decisions teams must make when balancing the needs of an aging, high-priced veteran against the salary cap constraints. Kamara's declining production and the team's need for cap space could lead to the end of his tenure in New Orleans, leaving the Saints to find a new lead back for their offense.