It has been a very fun start to the NFL’s legal tampering window, and one of the biggest moves of the day came from the New Orleans Saints.
Running back was a major need for the Saints, and after searching for a new lead rusher, they found an excellent one in Travis Etienne. This is great news for the Saints, but it may not be for Alvin Kamara.
Where Could Alvin Kamara Go Now That Travis Etienne Has Taken Over?
Although Etienne’s arrival in New Orleans does not guarantee that Kamara will be traded, released, or retired, it does increase the odds of one of the three options happening. The Saints recently restructured Kamara’s contract to open up the possibility of moving on from the veteran running back.
So, now with Etienne, moving on from Kamara could happen, and here are some destinations the veteran could land.
Denver Broncos
Out of all the potential destinations, the Denver Broncos seem the most likely. They were bidding with the Saints for Etienne but ended up losing.
Denver brought back J.K. Dobbins, but that is not enough for 2026, ranking No. 29 in PFSN’s RB Impact Metric. Looking for another back makes sense, and head coach Sean Payton is the one who drafted Kamara in 2017 while in New Orleans.
Kamara dealt with his fair share of injuries last season, but when healthy, he could be a great piece in Denver’s offense. Payton will know how to use the veteran, and because Dobbins can still take some of the workload, it will take pressure off Kamara.
Los Angeles Chargers
The next team that would make sense for Kamara is the Chargers. Los Angeles has a very talented young back in Omarion Hampton, but injuries derailed his rookie year.
Hampton played only nine games, and as a rookie, that could stunt his development. Pairing him with Kamara could be the perfect learning opportunity for Hampton, while also taking pressure off him to be the lead back. Kamara would also be a top passing weapon for Justin Herbert.
New York Giants
A bit of a wild card, but the New York Giants could have some interest in Kamara. It has been widely rumored that New York is in the market for another back, but so far, they have been unable to secure some of the top options.
In the draft, Jeremiyah Love is in play at No. 8, but if the Giants want to secure a veteran option to partner with Cam Skattebo, Kamara could be that. Also, new head coach John Harbaugh is ready to win now, and Kamara can help.
Retirement
Although this is not a team, it may actually be the most likely option. When the idea of a trade is brought up with Kamara, he has mentioned time and time again that retirement may be better at that point.
He wants to play his entire career in New Orleans, so if faced with the possibility of that not happening, retirement may be the direction he goes.
