Saints HC Kellen Moore puts Alvin Kamara’s future in doubt with latest comments amid retirement speculation

The Saints may be looking at a new era on offense.

Adam Holt — NFL News Writer
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Aug 23, 2025; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Saints head coach Kellen Moore walks the sideline before a game against the Denver Broncos at Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images

The New Orleans surprised plenty of folks this week when they signed former Jacksonville Jaguars running back Travis Etienne Jr. to a four-year deal worth up to $52 million.

With that move, there have been a lot of talk about the future of former Pro Bowl running back Alvin Kamara. Kamara made it clear last year that he didn’t want to play for a team that wasn’t the Saints, but it remains unknown if that is still the case.

Kellen Moore remains non-committal on Alvin Kamara’s Saints future

During media availability as the first wave of free agency winds down, the Saints head coach didn’t particularly put to bed retirement speculation around Kamara.

“We’d like to go through that process, certainly. And so we feel, obviously we know Alvin means a lot to us. Again, we’re 3 days into this thing, we signed Travis and we’ll go through that process.” — Kellen Moore on Kamara’s contract after Travis Etienne signing

Contract adjustment creates more drama

The timing of this deal for Etienne played alongside a unique choice by the Saints front office when it comes to Kamara’s contract. They put to good use a rule that allows teams to prorate part of a current-year salary when the next year’s payout is a drop of 50% or more for a player.

“This allowed Kamara’s contract to be a bit more maneuverable for the Saints if he chooses to retire or gets traded. Kamara’s previous cap number of $18.63 million was one of the highest on the team. He’ll turn 31 on July 25 and has finished the past two seasons unable to play because of injuries. That makes his long-term future uncertain, with the team possibly looking to get younger and spend less at this position.” — ESPN

Moore is keeping the door open for moving on from the fan favorite running back. As the team enters a bit of a new era with Moore at the helm, and Tyler Shough at quarterback, it is possible they say goodbye to a veteran like Kamara.

Of course, Demario Davis already exited to the New York Jets during free agency, and Cameron Jordan remains available. We will see if they bring the latter back sometime soon.

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