There was no shortage of speculation that the New Orleans Saints could trade Alvin Kamara in 2024 when the team was in the midst of a disastrous season. The idea made sense considering Kamara is set to turn 30 and was in the final year of his contract.
However, the Saints didn’t do that and instead extended the star running back on a two-year, $24.5 million deal. But concerns about Kamara remain, as not only is he heading for the dreaded age for running backs, he’s also had issues staying healthy during his career after not having played a full season since his rookie campaign.
The Saints don’t have much behind Kamara, at least in terms of proven talent. Kendre Miller and Jordan Mims are both unproven, which could leave New Orleans in a tough spot if Kamara gets hurt for any length of time.
With that in mind, Pro Football & Sports Network’s Sterling Xie wants to see the Saints make a move for Washington Commanders running back, Austin Ekeler.
“(Ekeler’s) former head coach, Brandon Staley, is on the Saints’ coaching staff — another possible connection with Alvin Kamara missing multiple games in four straight seasons,” Xie wrote.
After an impressive run with the Los Angeles Chargers over seven seasons, Ekeler was with the Commanders in 2024, where he took a backseat to Brian Robinson. Ekeler finished with 367 rushing yards, 366 receiving yards and four total touchdowns, both of which were his lowest totals since his rookie year.
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Ekeler would be a strong backup for Kamara, as he can impact the game in multiple ways, and especially as a pass-catcher. Ekeler could carve out a role for himself and take pressure off the Saints star, which could help Kamara stay healthy. If Kamara gets hurt, the Saints would have a proven option to replace him.
With Ekeler set to turn 30 and entering the final year of his two-year, $8.4 million contract, he shouldn’t cost more than a late-Day 3 pick in a trade.
All that said, we’re not sure this kind of trade makes sense for the Saints, who are in a bad way when it comes to being able to compete in 2025.
Quarterback Derek Carr’s status is up in the air due to an injury, and the Saints were terrible in 2024, even with Carr healthy. This is the kind of trade a team that is close to competing makes, something the Saints are not. The team can ill-afford to give up any draft capital for such a move.
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