With Alvin Kamara’s future up in the air, the New Orleans Saints made a concerted effort to bolster their backfield this offseason.
They signed former first-round pick Travis Etienne Jr., ideally pairing him with the aging Kamara as he begins to enter the twilight of his career. It’s the first time that the five-time Pro Bowler hasn’t been the featured running back for the Saints since entering the league in 2017, so the move may have stoked some animosity.
No Hard Feelings Between Alvin Kamara, Saints
It was becoming clear that the Saints couldn’t move forward with Kamara handling a bell-cow workload. His 31st birthday is on the horizon this summer, and he’s on the heels of an injury-riddled campaign that saw him limited to just 11 games.
Kamara rushed for 471 yards in those games and averaged 3.6 yards per attempt, both of which were career lows. The Saints couldn’t sit on their hands, so they signed Etienne, a former first-round pick of the Jacksonville Jaguars, to a four-year deal worth $48 million.
The 27-year-old Etienne should provide a set of fresh legs and take some of the burden off Kamara’s shoulders.
Of course, anytime a younger player comes in to essentially replace you, there could be a sense of lingering resentment toward the franchise. However, that’s not the case between Kamara and the Saints. In an appearance on ‘The Set,’ a podcast hosted by Terron Armstead, who played nine seasons in New Orleans, Kamara essentially nipped that in the bud.
“I think a lot of people be thinking there’s a beef or something when moves like this happen,” Kamara said. “It’s like, shoot, I couldn’t be happier. One, my boy got paid, and two, ain’t nothing but some help in the backfield. That’s the name of the game. One person can’t do it by themselves; I’m cool with it.
“Whichever direction that we can take it, I’m with it. I haven’t had too much a chance to talk to him, but definitely excited that he’s got a fleur-de-lis on his helmet, and he got paid.”
Kamara’s commitment to the Saints and the Saints’ commitment to him indicate he’s likely to finish his career with the team.
The Saints cycled through a handful of different No. 2 running backs opposite Kamara while he limped through the season. Devin Neal saw opportunities, as did Kendre Miller, Audric Estime, and Evan Hull. But no one has yet matched the efficiency of Mark Ingram, who was Kamara’s running mate for his first two years in the league.
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From 2017 through 2018, despite the emergence of Kamara, Ingram still managed to eclipse 2,300 yards from scrimmage with 19 total touchdowns. He returned to the Saints for the 2021 and 2022 seasons, but already had extensive tread on his legs; Ingram played just 17 games in his New Orleans reunion before retiring.
If the Saints have it their way, Etienne could provide similar value, if not significantly more. Considering the position he plays, Etienne is incredibly durable, excluding his rookie season, when he missed all 17 games due to a Lisfranc injury. Since then, he has missed just two games in the other four seasons with the Jaguars.
In his final season in Jacksonville, Etienne rushed for 1,107 yards with 7 touchdowns, adding another 292 yards and 6 more scores as a receiver. He’s essentially a human Swiss Army knife capable of wearing a multitude of hats in the offense. That kind of dual-threat capability will pair exceptionally well with Kamara, who possesses a similar skill set.
“I think that’s what we’re trying to find,” Kamara said of the Saints’ search for an optimal tailback to pair with him. “Me and Mark set the bar very high. That’s what efficiency looks like on a very high level. I’m 100% for it.
“If that’s what direction we’re going in, I’m with it. I think we can get there.”
2025 marked a year to forget for Kamara and the Saints’ running game. Only three running backs finished with a PFSN RB Impact score worse than his: Isiah Pacheco, Zonovan Knight, and Nick Chubb. Kamara ranked No. 50 out of 53 qualifying running backs with a 46.0 score, earning an F grade.
