Reason why Alvin Kamara left final Saints minicamp practice, revealed

The New Orleans Saints can no longer consider their preseason distraction-free.

Talented RB Alvin Kamara was absent from the Saints' final minicamp practice on Thursday, per Mike Triplett. It's a mandatory practice, so Kamara's sudden disappearance was immediately notable. As the alarm bells sounded in NOLA, Kamara's agent confirmed the inevitable to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.

Kamara's absence is contract-related.

Saints' Alvin Kamara skips practice amid contract negotiations

The impetus behind Kamara's absence is simple. He has been negotiating a potential contract restructure for months, per NFL Network's Mike Garafolo. Kamara is due $10.7 million this season before he hits free agency. The Saints haven't extended his deal yet, and with talks stalling, Kamara is using this moment to make a statement.

It's probably not time for the Saints' fanbase to panic. Odds are Kamara is back by Week 1, whether this situation is fully settled or not. The running back market has been on the decline in recent years, so Kamara has limited leverage. He's not going to have a long line of suitors offering big money, so the Saints aren't exactly pressured to overspend on a 28-year-old with Kamara's troubling injury history.

He hasn't missed more than four games in a season yet, but Kamara has picked up quite a few bumps and bruises in recent years. He is a high-usage RB in his late 20s, which as silly as it sounds, is archaic by modern NFL standards. Generally the shelf-life for elite halfbacks is short. Meanwhile, teams consistently find value at the position in the later stages of the NFL Draft, even in undrafted free agency. The Saints can probably field a by-committee approach that approximates Kamara's production without experiencing much of a decline.

Last season was Kamara's roughest to date. In 13 regular season appearances, he managed 180 totes for 694 yards and five touchdowns. His 3.9 yards per carry was a career low, which pales in comparison to his explosive 6.1 yards per carry as a rookie back in 2017. This is a classic RB career trajectory. Over time, efficiency declines and front offices pivot to fresher legs.

That's not to say the Saints shouldn't extend Kamara at a reasonable number. In addition to the immense contributions he has made to New Orleans' offense over the years, Kamara offers invaluable versatility as a pass-catcher. He's one of the best dual-threat, three-down RBs in the NFL. Even if he regresses to average efficiency as a runner, Kamara delivered 75 receptions for 466 yards last season. Not too many folks at his position can double as a legitimate receiving weapon. He is one of Derek Carr's favorite targets in high-leverage moments.

If Kamara misses extended time as a result of this holdout, the Saints will turn to Jamaal Williams as their RB1. Williams led the NFL in touchdowns (22) during the 2022 campaign with Detroit, but he managed one score all of last season with New Orleans (on the final play of the season in garbage time). He averaged 2.9 yards per carry in 2023, so the Saints probably aren't thrilled with the prospect of him leading their backfield.