Saints and Alvin Kamara expected to resume talks as ‘cooler heads prevail’

Running back Alvin Kamara and the Saints intend to keep working on a deal, slowing trade rumors

If you’ve got a bit of Alvin Kamara-related whiplash, you’re not alone.

The contract negotiations between Kamara and the Saints hit a snag on Tuesday, prompting a day full of speculation on a potential blockbuster trade.

Then, on Tuesday night, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network revealed that time may have healed the wounds.

“After a wild few hours, all is quiet on the Alvin Kamara front. I’m told cooler heads have prevailed and the #Saints and Kamara’s camp will keep working on a deal. He’s expected to be at practice tomorrow,” Rapoport tweeted.

That falls in line with Rapoport’s earlier reporting that Kamara had neither “asked for or demanded a trade.” He added that Kamara had made no threats to hold out either.

Alvin Kamara and the Saints are still on uncertain ground

Kamara had missed several days of practice over the past week, but Tom Pelissero of NFL Network linked those absences to an epidural the running back received on Thursday because of a back problem.

So maybe the situation is not as dire as it seemed earlier on Tuesday when there were serious questions about the distance between Kamara and the Saints’ differing desires on an extension.

Kamara was picked up by the Saints in the third round of the 2017 NFL Draft. Since entering the league he has produced exceptional numbers as an all-purpose weapon. He topped 1,500 yards from scrimmage in his first two seasons, earning Pro Bowl nods in each. He had 1,330 yards in 2019 while still managing to snag Pro Bowl honors.

The Saints went 13-3 last year with Kamara, receiver Michael Thomas and quarterback Drew Brees forming a potent offensive attack. They undoubtedly would like to keep that offense intact. The question is simply what price is right.

Whether Tuesday’s whirlwind was a negotiating tactic for one side or the other, the likelihood of Kamara staying in New Orleans is sitting on a knife’s edge.