Saints Weigh Options for Alvin Kamara's Future: Trade or Pay Cut

New Orleans must balance salary cap pressures and potential trades after signing Travis Etienne Jr.

Apr. 1, 2026 at 1:41pm

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The New Orleans Saints are facing a difficult decision regarding the future of star running back Alvin Kamara. With Kamara's hefty salary cap hit and the team's recent signing of Travis Etienne Jr., the Saints are considering either trading Kamara or asking him to take a significant pay cut to remain with the franchise.

Why it matters

Kamara has been a key part of the Saints' offense for years, but his large contract makes him a potential salary cap casualty. The Saints must weigh the pros and cons of keeping Kamara, trading him, or restructuring his deal, all while balancing the team's overall roster and salary cap situation.

The details

The Saints are carefully evaluating multiple options for Kamara's future, including exploring potential trade partners. Finding a team willing to take on Kamara's substantial financial commitment could be challenging, but the Saints have seen other teams make big moves for star running backs in the past, such as the Seahawks' trade for Marshawn Lynch or the 49ers' acquisition of Christian McCaffrey. Alternatively, the Saints could ask Kamara to accept a pay cut to remain with the team, which would provide the necessary salary cap relief to build a competitive roster around him.

  • The Saints signed Travis Etienne Jr. in free agency this offseason.

The players

Alvin Kamara

A star running back who has played his entire NFL career with the New Orleans Saints.

Travis Etienne Jr.

A running back who was recently signed by the New Orleans Saints in free agency.

New Orleans Saints

The NFL team that employs both Alvin Kamara and Travis Etienne Jr.

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What they’re saying

“Finding a suitable trade partner in the NFL requires another team willing to absorb significant financial commitments...which few teams may want to take on that monetary risk right now.”

— Greg Atoms, Author

What’s next

The Saints will need to make a decision on Kamara's future in the coming weeks, either through a trade, a contract restructure, or potentially releasing him outright.

The takeaway

The Saints' decision on Kamara's future will have significant implications for the team's salary cap and roster construction. Balancing the value Kamara brings to the offense with the financial realities of the NFL will be a challenging but crucial decision for the franchise.