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Alvin Kamara denies report of contract dispute with Saints: 'Never held out in my life'

Alvin Kamara missed a string of practices at New Orleans Saints training camp in August, raising questions about a holdout.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that the absences were unexcused and related to a contract dispute. Kamara has since returned to practice and on Monday addressed the issue with reporters.

Kamara denies holdout

He was reticent to discuss the state of his contract negotiations, according to the New Orleans Times-Picayune. But when pressed, he denied that his absence from the practice field had anything to do with his contract.

“I ain’t never held out in my life,” Kamara said. “That’s about it. I came to the building every day. That’s all I’ve got to say.”

And that was it. There were no more details from Kamara, who is presumably slated to start for the Saints on Sunday as they host Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Payton ‘confident’ a deal will get done

Head coach Sean Payton also declined to discuss details, but did acknowledge that talks were happening.

“I’m confident that at some point we’ll get this done and we’ll let you know when that happens,” Payton told reporters.

Kamara is entering the final year of his four-year, $3.86 million rookie deal and is slated to make $2.38 million in salary and bonuses this season, well below market value for the three-time Pro Bowler. He doesn’t have an extension, and multiple reports surfaced after his camp absence that the Saints were open to trading him.

Kamara’s team denied demanding a trade, and it appears that negotiations are now in a better place than they seemed a week ago.

A week after reports of trade talks surface, Alvin Kamara denies holding out from the Saints. (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images)
A week after reports of trade talks surfaced, Alvin Kamara denies holding out from the Saints. (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images)

Other backs get big deals

Kamara remains without an extension while running backs from his draft class Christian McCaffrey and Joe Mixon have signed big-dollar deals.

McCaffrey’s extension with the Carolina Panthers is for four years and $64 million, a record for annual salary for a running back. Mixon reportedly signed with the Cincinnati Bengals last week for four years and $48 million.

Kamara’s extension would presumably fall somewhere in between if a deal is reached. In three seasons, Kamara has tallied 4,476 yards from scrimmage and 37 touchdowns while averaging five yards per carry and hauling in 81 catches per year.

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