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Saints Could Trade Top Weapon Following Derek Carr’s Retirement

Originally posted on Last Word On Sports
By David Latham | Last updated May 12, 2025 3:00 PM ET

The New Orleans Saints should look to get younger following the Derek Carr retirement, and one of the best ways to do that is by finding a trade partner for star running back Alvin Kamara. Carr isn’t a Hall of Fame talent by any stretch of the imagination, but he was a top-15ish quarterback who could win a few games against lesser competition. With him out of the picture, first-year head coach Kellen Moore will try to win games with a flawed roster carried by the underwhelming quarterback trio of Tyler Shough, Spencer Rattler, and Jake Haener.

General Manager Mickey Loomis has avoided the long-overdue rebuild ever since Drew Brees called it a career, but nobody could win games with the current roster. New Orleans needs to blow it up and start building for the future, and Alvin Kamara is probably one of the most valuable trade chips left on the team. While he’s not the player he once was, the five-time Pro Bowler is still an above-average starter who could probably fetch a fourth- or fifth-round pick from any of the following teams.

Saints Could Trade Alvin Kamara Following Derek Carr’s Retirement

Possible Fits

Dallas Cowboys

It’s a list about running backs, so you know the Dallas Cowboys will be on it. Jerry Jones used to be one of the biggest believers in the value of running backs, but he appears to have changed philosophy over the past few years. While you don’t need a prime Ezekiel Elliott to win games in today’s NFL, it’s hard to get by with Javonte Williams, Miles Sanders, and fifth-round rookie Jaydon Blue leading your backfield. Alvin Kamara would easily be the best back on this roster, and the trade target could find new life behind an improved offensive line.

Kansas City Chiefs

Isiah Pacheco is fun to watch, but he’s not much of a threat in the receiving game. While he can catch passes when targeted, he doesn’t do much after the catch and doesn’t run a full route tree. Andy Reid excels at scheming open targets to his running backs, and Alvin Kamara could be the first player with the talent to take advantage of Reid’s scheme since prime Kareem Hunt.

Chicago Bears

Head coach Ben Johnson and the Chicago Bears desperately tried to trade up for Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty in the 2025 NFL Draft, but couldn’t get the job done. Now, Johnson has D’Andre Swift as his lead back, and the two didn’t bring out the best in each other during their time in Detroit. Alvin Kamara might not be as dangerous as he was at his peak, but the trade target is probably a better fit for Johnson’s offense.

Cincinnati Bengals

Chase Brown survived the 2025 NFL Draft and remains the unquestioned starter in Cincinnati’s backfield. While he played well last year, he’s not built to handle a full-time workload for multiple seasons. An Alvin Kamara trade could keep Brown fresh for the entire season while adding yet another dangerous weapon to what should be one of the league’s most dangerous offenses.

This article first appeared on Last Word On Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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