Alvin Kamara, the New Orleans Saints’ star running back, has expressed his desire to remain with the team, quelling trade rumors that have circulated amid the Saints‘ struggling season. Drafted in the third round of the 2017 NFL Draft, Kamara quickly established himself as a key player, earning NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year honors in his debut season. He just signed an extension in March that secures his future in New Orleans through at least the 2026 season. Moreover, $3 million of his base salary is fully guaranteed for that season.
Kamara, who just turned 30 in July, is no stranger to trade rumors. Under all that noise, he communicated very clearly that even in this unusual and tricky situation, his loyalty is with the Saints. “I plan on being a Saint for a long time,” he said with exuberance. “I’ve made that commitment and I plan to keep it for the rest of my career.”
His recent work suffered a blow from an ankle ailment. He is 100% now and back in practice as a part of a maintenance program. Given the fact that the team is sitting at 1-5 right now, trade speculation has run rampant. Kamara downplayed worries over the speculation, telling reporters that he’s had frank discussions with those within the organization.
“Yeah, I don’t know where that [came from]. We talked about [the report] and we was looking at each other like the little Spider-Man meme: ‘Did you say something? Did I say something?’ I don’t know where that came from, but I think I’ve been vocal enough that … I don’t want to go anywhere,” – Alvin Kamara
As mentioned earlier, Kamara has been a hot commodity in trade chatter. At the same time, Smith’s teammate Chris Olave has similarly joined him projected as a top-10 pick. The second-year wide receiver has started all six games this season, contributing significantly with 39 catches for 342 yards and a touchdown. Olave did admit to hearing some of the trade talk and partly credited that to the discussion that comes with a cellar-dwelling squad.
So it’s just been like that all year,” during offseason. So sorry to have been silent on social media recently. I can feel the energy under our 1-5 record. You know, there’s always speculation, the internet always wants to stir some drama,” he said. Olave’s performance has not gone unnoticed, but he remains focused on his responsibilities on the field while navigating the speculation.
“That’s part of the business, man,” – Chris Olave
Even through their hardships, each is confident about where they are. In short, Kamara seems more dedicated to the team than ever. He explains that the biggest challenge that comes from being a franchise in adversity is not what you might think. He confirmed his commitment once again with the line, “I just got to stay low.”
The Saints certainly have a mission to reverse their free fall. They will channel all their competitive juice into the arena of play and shut everything else out. Kamara and Olave have been rumored heaven-bound recently, as well. At the same time, they are absolutely uncompromising on performance and teamwork.
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