Saints' Alvin Kamara misses final minicamp practice due to contract dispute

The New Orleans Saints held their final practice of minicamp on Thursday, but running back Alvin Kamara wasn't on the field.

Kamara was at the team facility but skipped the practice session due to a contract dispute with the team, according to NewOrleans.Football's Nick Underhill. NFL Network's Ian Rapoport spoke to Kamara's agent, who confirmed that his client's contract situation was the reason for the absence.

Saints coach Dennis Allen told reporters that he didn't know why Kamara didn't attend practice, though he did take part in Thursday morning's walkthrough.

The eighth-year running back is signed for two more years, but the way his contract is structure makes it extremely likely that the Saints will cut him before next season. Kamara's salary will increase to $22.4 million for 2025-26 but, more importantly, he'll cost $29 million against the team's salary cap, according to Spotrac.

Thus, Kamara wants a new deal in place before the timeline reaches the point where his salary spikes. Yet he and the Saints haven't made much progress on a new contract, according to Underhill.

Christian McCaffrey may have set the bar for running back contract extensions in his two-year, $38 million deal with the San Francisco 49ers. However, Kamara is coming off his least productive NFL season, rushing for 694 yards and compiling 1,160 yards from scrimmage with six total touchdowns.

As a result, he might be looking at a contract along the lines of what Aaron Jones ($7 million per year) or Derrick Henry ($8 million annually) received during this offseason. That would be a significant pay cut compared to the $15 million in average annual salary from the 5-year, $75 million contract he signed with New Orleans in 2020.

Kamara also skipped the Saints' OTA sessions earlier in the offseason, despite new offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak installing a different system. Interestingly, Kubiak comes from the 49ers so it's possible that he intends to use Kamara much like San Francisco utilized McCaffrey.

Earlier this week, Kamara said that he's studied the new playbook, while keeping in touch with Kubiak and teammates during his absences.

"I've been in contact with Klint, I've been in contact with guys," Kamara said, via the Saints' official website. "I have a playbook, I've got an iPad. It's different when you go do it, right? Looking on paper, I've never been really a paper guy. But nothing's changed from what I've been doing the last couple of years."