Alvin Kamara didn’t tell anyone on the New Orleans Saints that he was planning to show up to Wednesday’s offseason workout. The Saints running back, who has a well-documented history of skipping these voluntary sessions, wanted the surprise to speak for itself.
Mission accomplished.
“I walked in this morning and I was just talking (trash) to some dudes and they looked up, like, 'Man … who the (expletive)?’” Kamara said, recalling his arrival. “They were like, ‘Oh (shoot), AK!’”
“Obviously a little bit unexpected,” coach Kellen Moore said.
After weeks of uncertainty about whether he’ll be on the roster next season, Kamara’s surprise appearance Wednesday was the latest twist in a saga that has already taken its fair share of turns. But the situation, even with the visit, is far from settled.
The Saints have indicated they would like to address Kamara’s contract, but speaking to the reporters for the first time since last season, the Saints’ all-time leading rusher said he hasn’t talked with general manager Mickey Loomis, nor has he been approached about taking a pay cut.
Kamara is entering the last year of his contract and holds a cap hit of nearly $10.5 million, which was already reduced earlier this offseason when the Saints restructured the deal using an unconventional salary cap tactic called the 50% rule. The Saints also seemingly signed his replacement in March by giving a four-year, $52 million contract to Travis Etienne.
Kamara, who reiterated that he had no problem with Etienne’s signing, said he’s “going to be ready” to play for the Saints next season. But he also acknowledged there are some “conversations that may need to be had” to determine his status.
“Look, I’m prepared,” Kamara said. “I’m under contract. I still got my locker. That’s really why I came. My locker’s still here. My fingerprint still works at the door. Like I guess I’m here, right?
“That’s what that means. You know what I’m saying? So yeah, man, I’m good.”
If Kamara’s unexpected attendance was a way to put pressure on the franchise to make a decision, the running back did not indicate that was his plan. Instead, he said he wanted to show up at some point because of the number of teammates who had checked up on him over the last several months. So, he recalled, Kamara made the decision to book a late flight Tuesday and arrived back in New Orleans at 1 a.m. before showing up to the facility in the morning.
The Saints, too, seemed unprepared for Kamara’s arrival. New Orleans had the five-time Pro Bowler participate in individual drills but chose not to include him in any 7-on-7 work or team walkthroughs. During individual drills, Kamara’s reps came notably after Etienne and several other backs.
Moore said Kamara’s workload would be lighter since he has to go through an “acclimation process” of getting up to speed.
“I’m excited to be able to spend a little bit of time with him and just kind of see where he’s at,” Moore said. “But it’s good to see him.”
Even on Wednesday, Moore appeared to be noncommittal about Kamara’s future with the Saints. The coach said Kamara could fit in “really well from an offensive standpoint,” but deflected when asked several times if the Saints had decided to keep him around for next season.
The lack of a decision — one way or another — has been polarizing. Former Saints safety Tyrann Mathieu criticized the franchise for not acting in “good faith,” arguing the black and gold were mistreating their all-time leading rusher. Mathieu suggested the Saints don’t have “the balls to outright cut him” and would rather Kamara retire.
It also has, as Kamara noted, caused teammates to check in. Second-year running back Devin Neal said he had been speaking with Kamara “pretty consistently” this offseason, which is why he wasn’t completely shocked the veteran showed up to practice this week. Neal said Kamara had told him he planned to attend at some point, though he did not specify when.
“Just to hear his thoughts about everything going on — the elephant is definitely in the room,” Saints running back Devin Neal said. “Just to see what’s going on, what’s he’s gonna do, what we’re gonna do with him.”
But Kamara said he isn’t confused by how the Saints have acted over the last several months.
He also disagreed with the idea that the franchise was acting disrespectfully by not providing a clear answer about whether they plan to keep him.
“I’ve been through a lot in my life, man,” Kamara said. “I learned not to take things personal. Man, I’m blessed. Like it is what it is. We’re in a business that’s unique to a lot of spaces in the world. … Nothing catches me off guard, man.”
So would Kamara be open to taking a pay cut to stick around?
“I haven’t had any conversations in regard to that, so I don’t know,” Kamara said. “I think there’s a time and a place for everything. If that conversation comes up, then I’ll have an answer for you when it comes up.”
For now, Kamara was set to embrace the people he hadn’t seen since the end of last season. Before practice began Wednesday, he hugged defensive coordinator Brandon Staley and enthusiastically greeted several other teammates.
He said afterward he even had a chance to catch up with Moore.
“On my side, I feel no pressure,” Kamara said. “There’s no beef or bad blood, I don’t think. I’m just doing what I do every year, working. Whatever decisions have got to be made, they’ll be made.”