Saints’ Travis Etienne Signing Sparks Kamara Trade Talk

NEW ORLEANS, La. (103.3 The Goat) - The New Orleans Saints were busy on the first day of free agency Monday making big signings at several key positions. But one move that surprised many fans and turned a few heads was that of running back Travis Etienne, who the team inked to a four-year, $52 million deal.

Saints Sign Travis Etienne in Free Agency

The addition of the former Jacksonville Jaguars running back and Louisiana native has led some to call into question the future of long-time starter Alvin Kamara.

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ESPN’s Adam Schefter posted on X what many Saints fans are wondering as well.

What This Means for Alvin Kamara

Is the team open to trading the now 30-year-old who is the franchise's all-time leading running back with 7,250 yards in his career? Will he be cut? (No way, right?) Or is he contemplating retirement?

Kamara’s Contract Situation

As you may recall, the Saints restructured Kamara's contract in recent weeks. They are only on the hook for $3 million in guaranteed money ($11.5 total), which could make a trade or release possible.

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That restructure, as Saints fans should know by now, does not come without some repercussions. Although Kamara is signed through 2026, the structure leaves a significant dead cap hit ($16M-$19M+ depending on the source) if he is released or traded.

Etienne Coming Off Strong Season

The 27-year-old Travis Etienne, meanwhile, rushed for 1,107 yards and seven touchdowns last season for the Jaguars in a bounce back year. He also added 36 catches for 292 yards and six scores.

While maybe not quite the pass-catcher as Kamara, many have likened Etienne's game to the longtime Saints running back.

Saints Running Back Room Gets Crowded

And let's not forget that the team has Kendre Miller and Devin Neal on the roster next season.

It should be interesting over the next few days and/or weeks to see what happens to one of the greatest New Orleans Saints players of all-time.

WARNING: THE FOLLOWING IS FOR ENTERTAINMENT PURPOSES

As I was researching stats and some background info for this story, I discovered that someone had a little fun with Alvin Kamara's Wikipedia page. As of 5:00 a.m. on the morning of Tuesday, March 10, he's on another team.

This was likely wishful thinking by a Packers fan. By 5:15 a.m., the page was edited to return Kamara back to the Saints. But, wouldn't it be funny if he was indeed traded to Green Bay today?