Kamara Says He’s Not Had Pay-Cut Talks Yet as Saints’ Offseason Turns Toward Decisions

The New Orleans Saints’ offseason attention around Alvin Kamara has so far stayed focused on the same unresolved issue: whether the veteran running back will remain with the team on a new financial structure. In the latest round of reporting, Kamara indicated he has not held direct discussions with New Orleans about taking a pay cut this offseason. When asked if he had talked with the team about a potential reduction in pay so far, Kamara said, “I haven’t had any conversations in regards to that, so I don’t know,” and added that “there’s a time and a place for everything.”

Despite the uncertainty, Kamara has not appeared to treat the situation as adversarial. Earlier in June, the Saints highlighted his surprise return to team activities during the fourth OTA, noting that he came to the Ochsner Sports Performance Center after skipping the team’s typical private-workout routine and joined teammates for meetings and a limited on-field workload. In that official update, Kamara framed the visit as a connection moment, telling reporters, “I miss New Orleans,” and saying he was checking in because people around the building had been reaching out.

The backdrop for any pay discussion is the Saints’ backfield-building in the same offseason. New Orleans added Travis Etienne Jr. in free agency, and head coach Kellen Moore said the team views the room as a two-back fit rather than a one-man dependency. In the Saints’ OTA coverage, Moore stated that Kamara is entering the final year of his contract while Etienne signed a four-year deal. Kamara, for his part, described his relationship with Etienne as good, emphasizing there was “no beef” and that the two running backs have already shared floor time in New Orleans’ system in the past.

Financially, the pay-cut conversation matters because the Saints have options once the calendar moves deeper into June. Pro Football Rumors reported that through the early June window there still had been “no talks” specifically involving general manager Mickey Loomis and that the two sides were still at an uncommitted stage on whether Kamara’s compensation would be adjusted. That reporting also connected the question to cap timing, with the suggestion that a decision could become more feasible from a roster-management standpoint as the offseason progresses. (Those specific dollar figures and cap-savings scenarios were attributed to contract reporting and cap modeling, not announced by the team.)

For the Saints, the practical challenge is aligning the roster picture with both the coaching plan and the calendar. OTAs are voluntary, but they are also the first place where roles start to take shape for the regular-season depth chart. The team’s own OTA reporting already positions Kamara and Etienne as complementary pieces, with Moore arguing a veteran tandem can help keep defenses guessing and reduce the wear that comes from relying on a single primary runner.

What to watch next is whether the pay-cut question finally turns into direct, confirmed conversations and how quickly that becomes visible in team planning. The Saints’ official offseason timeline puts training camp reporting on July 28, with the first practice on July 29 at the team facility in Metairie, and joint practices scheduled before preseason games. If Kamara remains firmly integrated into the camp rhythm, it could support the idea that New Orleans is still weighing outcomes rather than acting on an immediate split. If the tone shifts later in June, the running back market and the Saints’ depth-chart decisions could follow the paperwork instead of the headlines.