Saints star running back Alvin Kamara made a surprise return to the facility for voluntary Organized Team Activities today. Kamara typically opts to prep for the season away from New Orleans but arrived amidst questions about his future with the team. He said he came back this year because teammates kept reaching out to him.
“I’m prepared,” said Kamara. “I’m under contract. I still got my locker. That’s really why I came. My locker’s still here. My fingerprint still works at the door. I guess I’m here, right, that’s what that means. Yeah, man, I’m good.”
New Orleans made a splash in free agency, signing veteran running back Travis Etienne to revamp a run game that struggled to find its footing last season. Head coach Kellen Moore and GM Mickey Loomis have repeatedly said they are still evaluating how the 30-year-old fits in the roster, and Kamara said he’s not a part of those decisions.
“I’ve never been upstairs in any of these conversations, so there’s nothing new now,” he said. “It’s not like some type of inside information that I have where it’s like, it should have been handled like— it is what it is. Like I said, I’ll do what I do every year, and I’ll be ready when it’s time to be here.”
The Saints are second in the NFL, spending over $21 million on the running back room after finishing bottom five in the league in both rushing yards and touchdowns last season. Kamara said he’s shared carries with Mark Ingram and Latavius Murray in the past, and a two-back system with Etienne can be beneficial for both ball carriers.
“I don’t feel any pressure or any type of like animosity for a dude coming in, getting paid, and people being excited. He’s a good player, s—- I’m excited for him, and I’m excited for me because it helps me. Because I’ve been there before. I know,” said Kamara.
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