Saints restructure Alvin Kamara's contract to lower 2026 cap hit amid uncertainty over veteran running back's future

New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara has publicly affirmed his desire to remain with the franchise for the 2026 season, stating he would rather retire than play for another team. Despite this commitment, the organisation has taken significant financial steps that suggest a divergence between player sentiment and institutional strategy.

In March, the Saints restructured Kamara's contract by converting $10.155 million of his 2026 base salary into a signing bonus. This manoeuvre lowered his 2026 salary cap hit from $18.63 million to $10.45 million, though the move added no guaranteed money to the veteran's deal.

The restructuring allows the Saints to trade or release Kamara after June 1 with a reduced cap hit of approximately $10.07 million. This represents a saving of $376,000 compared to a pre-June 1 release, which would incur a $24.40 million dead cap charge.

Shortly after the restructuring, the Saints signed Travis Etienne Jr to a four-year, $48 million deal, positioning him as the feature back. Kamara appeared on The Set podcast with Terron Armstead to express excitement about sharing the backfield with Etienne, noting he has no beef with the new signing.

Saints General Manager Mickey Loomis has offered vague responses regarding the running back's future, declining to comment on whether the team is on the same page as Kamara or if other teams are inquiring about a trade. He stated he would rather keep those details to himself at this point.

With the June 1 deadline approaching, the franchise appears to be preparing for a potential move on the veteran, while Kamara insists he wants to play in New Orleans. The situation remains unresolved as the organisation weighs its financial strategy against the player's stated wishes.