Return of the Rushing King, Alvin Kamara
· Yahoo Sports
The Saints’ offseason has been nothing short of exciting. From Tyler Shough immersing himself in the culture of New Orleans, to the addition of multiple explosive offensive weapons, to the lingering and now resolved questions that surrounding the futures of Cam Jordan and Alvin Kamara, there has been no shortage of storylines.
The situation surrounding Kamara was particularly interesting because he was already under contract. Earlier in the offseason, the Saints created additional salary cap space, signaling that they could potentially move on from him through free agency or even during the NFL Draft.
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Those days are now long gone.
While the Saints saw franchise legend Demario Davis move on to another team and made the difficult decision to move forward without Taysom Hill, Kamara’s future never seemed quite as clear. However, since OTAs and now minicamp have concluded, Kamara has done nothing but show up, put in the work, and embrace the new players around him.
The Saints organization is unique. There are very few professional sports franchises that blend so seamlessly with the culture of the city they represent. The Saints are more than just a football team, they are part of the identity of New Orleans and, in many ways, the entire Gulf Coast region.
Their impact extends far beyond wins and losses.
To quote Jono Barnes, “This is more than a game.”
It’s an identity.
Any player who embraces that identity and genuinely wants to be a part of it will live in infamy throughout this region. That’s exactly what has happened with Alvin Kamara.
Kamara arrived in New Orleans as a relatively unknown prospect after being selected in the third round of the 2017 NFL Draft. The selection caught many by surprise because the Saints had just signed Adrian Peterson to pair with Mark Ingram. However, Kamara was exactly what Sean Payton wanted in a complete running back.
He possessed the ability to stretch running plays horizontally before exploding upfield, elite vision to make the correct cutbacks, and the versatility to line up as a receiver and become a matchup nightmare thanks to his hands and route-running ability.
Over the past nine seasons, Kamara has gone on to set franchise rushing records and become the Saints’ all-time leading rusher—accomplishments very few people predicted when he entered the league.
Just as important as his production has been his commitment to the organization. When the Saints endured difficult seasons, Kamara never looked to run from adversity or chase a championship elsewhere. Instead, he consistently expressed his desire to help return New Orleans to contention.
Kamara is accustomed to playing for teams competing at the highest level.
Has his production declined in recent seasons? Yes.
But that can also be attributed to the role he has been asked to play. Rather than being utilized as the versatile offensive weapon that made him one of the league’s most dangerous players, Kamara has increasingly been forced into the role of a traditional every-down running back.
That’s why so many fans are excited about the addition of Travis Etienne Jr. His arrival gives head coach and play-caller Kellen Moore another dynamic weapon and should allow Kamara to return to the versatile role that made him one of the NFL’s premier offensive playmakers.
Had the Saints chosen to move on from Kamara during this stage of the rebuild, fans eventually would have accepted it. However, it will be a much more difficult decision to sell to the fan base right now.
Reasonable fans understand that the day will eventually come when No. 41 no longer jogs onto the field with his jersey rolled up and his grill reflecting the lights inside the Caesars Superdome.
Reasonable fans also understand that, for the 2026 season and where this roster currently stands, that day probably shouldn’t be today.
Regardless of whatever issues may have taken place behind closed doors, issues fans may never know about, Kamara has earned the opportunity to be celebrated the same way another franchise leader will when his time comes.
Just as Cam Jordan deserves that farewell, so does Alvin Kamara.