Nov 9, 2025; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara (41) high fives New Orleans Saints running back Devin Neal (24) during the second quarter against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

Alvin Kamara Clears Up Pina Colada, Retirement Buzz

Originally posted on New Orleans Saints on SI
By Patrick McAvoy | Last updated Dec 23, 2025 7:00 PM ET

There was plenty of noise around the New Orleans Saints around the November trade deadline.

New Orleans was struggling in the standings and was looked at as a potential seller around the league. The Saints ended up sending Rashid Shaheed to the Seattle Seahawks and Trevor Penning to the Los Angeles Chargers.

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One guy who did not get moved was star running back Alvin Kamara. His name was out there in speculation left and right. New Orleans was struggling and there were contenders around the league that needed a boost at running back. But one comment that got blown out of proportion was the 30-year-old saying he'd go drink a "pina colada somewhere" if the team dealt him. Kamara addressed the comments while joining "The Set with Terron Armstead."

The Saints star opened up

"I saw a lot of people looking at that and saying, like, I was holding the Saints hostage by saying that if they traded me, I would retire," Kamara said. "Which is not at all what I was saying. What I was saying was the same thing I've said my whole career. I want to be in New Orleans, right? Period. In the simplest of forms. I want to be in New Orleans.

"If I were to have to play football somewhere else, then I don’t want to play football, that's all I was saying. It's the trade deadline, so things get read into a little bit more. It's like 'Well, they went to Alvin and asked him if he wanted to be traded. And he told Mickey Loomis that if they trade him...' I wasn't holding anybody hostage. At the end of the day, that entity, that team, they swing the gavel. So, I'm never going to go up there and be like if you trade me, I'm going to go home."

There you have it. Kamara made it clear that he wasn't holding the team hostage but simply wanted to be in New Orleans. If you're a Saints fan, what else could you ask for?

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This article first appeared on New Orleans Saints on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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