Alvin Kamara’s time with the Saints may be coming to a close with looming situation approaching this offseason
The Saints may need a new running back quite soon.
The NFL is full of harsh realities. For the New Orleans Saints, moving on from one or more of their beloved veteran players may become truth this offseason.
What does the future of running back Alvin Kamara look like? Let’s dig into that a bit.
Alvin Kamara named potential cut candidate in NFC
In an article for NFL.com, Matt Okada pinpointed Alvin Kamara as a possible cut candidate for the Saints. The running back is entering his age-31 season, and he missed notable time last year due to injury.
With potential cap savings with the move, depending on how it is executed, the Saints have to think about a new beginning at running back.
“The Saints likely haven’t found their future at the position yet — Audric Estimé, Kendre Miller nor Devin Neal really fit the bill — but with a cap hit of $18.6 million, their vision probably shouldn’t involve Kamara. Cutting him before June 1 only frees up $360,000 (with $18.2 million in dead money), so he’s an excellent candidate for a post-June 1 designation (when the cap savings rockets up to $8.5 million).” — NFL.com
New Orleans does not have a ton of candidates for post-June 1 cuts (teams are limited to 2 per offseason) due to their finagling and restructuring of veteran deals in recent years. That would help them in choosing Kamara as the one for that ordeal.
Replacing Alvin Kamara in the 2026 NFL Draft
It would be fascinating to see how early the Saints attack RB during this year’s draft if Kamara is no longer in the fold.
Notre Dame’s Jeremiyah Love is a sure-fire first-round selection and could go as early as the top ten. With that, plenty of mock drafts have included him as the Saints’ first pick at ninth overall. That could certainly be on the table for New Orleans.
“In a draft that lacks at the premium positions, drafting best player available is the approach most NFL teams should focus on this April. Without baking in positional value, Jeremiyah Love is one of the premier players in this class. In a lot of ways, his game is, funny enough, very similar to Alvin Kamara. The different is that Love possesses the long speed to turn a single into double, a double into a triple, and a triple into a home run.” — Ryan Roberts, A to Z Sports
I’d also look to day two of the draft with players like Notre Dame’s Jadarian Price, Nebraska’s Emmett Johnson, and Washington’s Jonah Coleman. All of which are projected to go sometime between rounds two and three this April.
The reality of it is that the Saints won’t be able to completely replace Kamara immediately. Production-wise? Potentially. That being said, he has been a fan favorite for nearly a decade. He is one of the cornerstone leaders of the locker room on offense and loves New Orleans like it is his true home.
There is a reason that the former Pro Bowl RB said he would choose to retire last year, rather than suit up for another team. The NFL incurs tough choices, though, and it sounds like a legitimate reality that the Saints move on from their long-time starter this offseason. Only time will tell.
New Orleans Saints News
Analyzing reasons why the Saints should or should not select Notre Dame RB Jeremiyah Love in first round of the 2026 NFL Draft
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