Alvin Kamara has listened to plenty of ideas in his time in the NFL, but this might be one of the least favorite he has ever heard.
New Orleans has had a few years to soak in what life is like without Drew Brees and Sean Payton. Put simply, the New Orleans Saints have little reason to be enjoying it. After a decade and a half of watching consistent high-powered offenses, the unit has struggled since losing both Payton and Brees,
However, one of the bright spots on the team has been Alvin Kamara. A dual-threat running back, Kamara has arguably been the engine of the offense since Brees left.
His ability to run or catch the ball has left him with a mountain of production. Of course, it hasn’t been enough to win over fans during the team’s struggle, causing Kamara to call out the fanbase over it.
This wasn’t the first time his dissatisfaction has led to action as Kamara held out last year over a contract dispute. One can only wonder what Kamara might do if he hears what his former teammate said on national television.
Mark Ingram II on what the Saints should do
Speaking on a February 8 edition of “Up and Adams,” former Saints, Baltimore Ravens, and Houston Texans running back Mark Ingram II recommended the Saints draft a high-powered rookie that could only end up replacing Kamara in the long term.
“My guy AK (Alvin Kamara), he’s getting up there, nine years [in the league], give him a little break so he can be healthy the whole year. You know, maybe you go running back. Maybe you go and pair him with Ashton Jeanty,” he said.
“He’s just a beast, man. He has juice. He can run the ball inside, run the ball outside, comes out of the backfield, catches it. So why not have another two-headed monster so my boy AK could be thriving again in New Orleans,” he added.
While the idea was presented as a positive for Kamara, his addition would signal the beginning of the end of Kamara’s time with the Saints.
Alvin Kamara should not agree with Ingram’s idea
The Saints running back has been one of the big names in New Orleans since he joined the team in 2017. While he is getting up there in years, he has still been productive, logging one of the most productive seasons of his career in 2024.
As a player in the NFL, it falls on Kamara to resist any kind of move to add youth, especially when it comes to one of the biggest running back names in the NFL Draft. Almost like a rookie quarterback getting drafted to eventually supplant the grizzled veteran, adding Jeanty to back up Kamara would only be the plan in the short-term.
Eventually, there will be pressure to make Kamara the backup and it’s much easier for the Saints to pull the trigger if they have someone to turn to already on the roster. Put simply, Kamara should instead advocate for the team to pick up a type of player that isn’t the long-term future of the team, but can still produce today.
