The Value of Alvin Kamara: Assessing the Salary and Contract of the Saints’ RB

Alvin Kamara’s Salary, Contract: How Much Is the Saints’ RB Worth in 2023?

In the fast-paced world of the National Football League, contracts are often a topic of great interest and speculation. One player who has been in the spotlight recently is Alvin Kamara, the star running back for the New Orleans Saints. Kamara entered the league at the right time, just before the trend of handing out significant extensions to veteran running backs dissipated. However, despite his impressive performance on the field, the Saints may now be regretting his contract, which was signed in 2020. In this report, we will delve into the details of Kamara’s contract with the Saints, analyze its implications for the team, and discuss when New Orleans may consider parting ways with the talented running back.

Kamara’s Contract Details and Bonuses

Alvin Kamara’s contract extension with the Saints was not without its complications. Prior to finalizing the deal, Kamara staged a mini-holdout during the team’s 2020 training camp. Reports surfaced that New Orleans was even willing to trade Kamara if an agreement couldn’t be reached. However, the two sides eventually came to an agreement just before the start of the regular season. Kamara signed a five-year, $75 million pact, with $17.83 million guaranteed.

One notable aspect of Kamara’s contract is the artificially inflated value. In order to make the deal appear more substantial, the Saints included a $22.4 million base salary for the 2025 season, a salary Kamara will never actually earn. This practice of backloading contracts is common in the NFL, but Kamara’s contract takes it to an extreme. Despite the adjustments, Kamara’s contract made him the NFL’s second-highest-paid running back at the time, just behind Christian McCaffrey.

Since signing the contract, the Saints have already restructured Kamara’s deal twice, pushing money into the future to create immediate salary cap space. Additionally, Kamara’s contract was affected by a three-game suspension at the beginning of the 2023 NFL season, which voided his future guarantees. However, at the time of his suspension, Kamara only had approximately $1 million remaining in guarantees. Thus far, Kamara has collected approximately $29.33 million (39.1%) of his total contract value.

Remaining Years of Kamara’s Contract

• 2023: Base salary: $900,000, Signing bonus proration: $3 million, Restructure proration: $2.09 million, Cap hit: $7.98 million. Yearly cash: $10.82 million. Running cash: $40.15 million.
• 2024: Base salary: $10.2 million, Roster bonus: $1 million, Workout bonus: $100,000, Per-game roster bonuses: $500,000, Signing bonus proration: $3 million, Restructure proration: $4.077 million, Cap hit: $18.88 million. Yearly cash: $11.8 million. Running cash: $51.95 million.
• 2025: Base salary: $22.4 million, Roster bonus: $2 million, Workout bonus: $100,000, Per-game roster bonuses: $500,000, Restructure proration: $4.077 million, Cap hit: $29.08 million. Yearly cash: $25 million. Running cash: $76.95 million.
• 2026-27: The Saints have included void years from 2026-27 in Kamara’s contract, which essentially serve as dummy seasons with no base salary listed. If Kamara stays with the team until the end of his contract (unlikely), New Orleans will have to account for over $6 million in dead money in 2026.

Potential for Kamara’s Departure

Despite Alvin Kamara’s success on the field, the Saints may contemplate parting ways with him in the future. The team could potentially release him as early as the 2024 offseason, as veteran running backs are generally let go around their age-29 season. Releasing Kamara without any conditions would result in over $17 million in dead money, an unsustainable burden for a team already projected to be over $70 million over the 2024 salary cap.

If the Saints do decide to cut Kamara, they would likely designate him as a post-June 1 release, allowing them to spread the dead cap hit over the next two seasons. This approach would result in a $7.07 million dead cap hit in 2024 and a $10.4 million dead cap hit in 2025. The team would have to act before Kamara’s $1 million roster bonus, which is due on March 22, 2024, to avoid paying it if they choose to release him.

Conclusion

As the New Orleans Saints weigh their options for the future, the decision regarding Alvin Kamara’s future with the team is undoubtedly a challenging one. While Kamara has been a standout performer on the field, his contract has become a financial burden for the organization. With the team already facing salary cap constraints, the possibility of releasing Kamara in the coming years becomes a real consideration. The Saints’ front office will need to carefully assess both the financial implications and Kamara’s future performance to determine the best path forward. Only time will reveal the ultimate outcome of this complex contract situation.