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. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

Saints' Biggest Question Revolves Around Alvin Kamara

Originally posted on New Orleans Saints on SI
By Patrick McAvoy | Last updated Apr 6, 2026 7:52 PM ET

There's a lot of time left in the offseason and more work for the New Orleans Saints to do.

When it comes to the Saints, there are four big talking points to think about throughout the rest of the offseason. There are three roster holes to worry about right now: edge rush, No. 2 receiver and cornerback. The fourth big talking point is the future of longtime star running back Alvin Kamara. It's still up in the air what the Saints are going to do with the nine-year veteran. So much so that ESPN's Katherine Terrell called the running back room the "biggest question" for New Orleans right now.

"The biggest question in the running back room is whether Alvin Kamara and Etienne will be playing together in 2026. With both backs set to each make more than $11 million this season, there's also the question of whether Kamara returns on his current contract," Terrell wrote.

What will the Saints do with Alvin Kamara?

Saints head coach Kellen Moore spoke about the Kamara situation from the annual league meetings and said a running back room with Kamara and Travis Etienne Jr. would be a "great situation" for New Orleans. Matthew Paras of The Times-Picayune and The Advocate shared a report from the annual league meetings and noted that New Orleans wants to address Kamara's contract and that could lead to a pay cut or even a roster cut.

The best-case scenario for this situation would be some sort of pay cut with incentives baked into the contract, like what Cameron Jordan got last year. Find a way to make it work and then run it back for one more season with a fully-loaded room with Kamara and Etienne both. In this scenario, Kamara would be the pass-catching back and Etienne would get the bulk of the work in the running game. This type of setup would have New Orleans set for the 2026 season out of the backfield.

New Orleans' running game was a weakness in 2025. That's in large part because Kamara was injured for a chunk of the season. Keeping both would give the team enough depth not to worry about the running back room heading into 2026. Then, there would just be the three roster holes remaining: No. 2 receiver, cornerback and the edge. If the Saints can solve all four, they arguably will be a playoff team in 2026 and very well could be the best team in the NFC South.

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

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