Trading Alvin Kamara Now Makes Sense for the Saints, and Multiple Teams Are Interested
The New Orleans Saints just signed Travis Etienne Jr. in free agency to be their new lead running back. That was the moment Alvin Kamara’s clock started ticking.
Kamara is 30 years old. He has been the face of the Saints backfield since 2017. He has 8,000 rushing yards, 6,000 receiving yards, and a body of work that puts him among the most versatile backs of his generation. He is also getting older. Etienne is 26 and represents the next generation. The math is straightforward.
Trading Kamara before training camp makes strategic sense for the Saints, and multiple contending teams have started making their interest known. New Orleans is not in win-now mode. They are entering a soft rebuild under second-year head coach Kellen Moore, and getting draft capital back for a veteran running back is a smart move.
The Kansas City Chiefs are one of the loudest names in the mix. Isiah Pacheco has been an important piece for them, but he has dealt with injuries and inconsistency. Adding Kamara as a receiving back and change-of-pace option would give Patrick Mahomes another weapon in the passing game. That is a scary thought for the rest of the AFC.
The Baltimore Ravens are also in play. Derrick Henry is 32 and will not be around forever. Justice Hill is a solid piece but not a bell cow. Adding Kamara as a receiving back to a Lamar Jackson-led offense would give the Ravens exactly the versatile skill set they have been trying to build around Lamar for years.
The San Francisco 49ers are the dark horse. Kyle Shanahan loves running backs who can catch. Christian McCaffrey has had his share of injuries. Adding Kamara as insurance would be classic Shanahan roster building. It also fits the 49ers’ win-now window.
Kamara’s contract is manageable. He is in the last year of his current deal, so any team acquiring him would essentially be renting him for a playoff run. That drives the price down for prospective buyers, but it also makes him more attractive to teams that would not want to take on long-term risk.
The Saints get a Day 2 or Day 3 pick back in return. That is not a franchise-altering haul, but it is meaningful in a rebuild. Kellen Moore and the front office are trying to accumulate draft capital while shedding older veteran salaries. Kamara fits the profile perfectly.
Kamara himself has not been vocal about his preferences. He has been a professional in New Orleans for nearly a decade, and he has earned the right to have a say in his next destination. Any trade would likely involve some coordination with his camp about which teams he would prefer to go to.
The Etienne signing tells you everything you need to know about the Saints’ direction. New Orleans is transitioning from the Drew Brees legacy era to whatever comes next. Derek Carr is the veteran quarterback for now. Tyler Shough is being groomed as the future. The offensive identity is going to be more youth-oriented, and Kamara does not fit that vision.
Kamara’s Hall of Fame resume is more or less complete. He is one of the best pass-catching backs of his era. His Saints record book entries will stand for a long time. The next chapter, though, needs to be somewhere that can maximize his last productive years.
A move to Kansas City or Baltimore would put him on a legitimate Super Bowl contender. That is where he belongs at this stage of his career. The Saints get valuable draft capital. Kamara gets a real championship shot. Everyone wins.
Do not be surprised if this happens before training camp opens. The pieces are all in place.
Kamara to a contender by August 1. Book it.
A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.
