New Alvin Kamara Trade Rumors Revealed After Saints' Reported Travis Etienne Contract

The New Orleans made the somewhat surprising decision to sign veteran running back Travis Etienne to a four-year, $52 million deal on Monday, calling into question the future of long-time starter Alvin Kamara.

According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, "There now are questions around the league about whether Kamara will be moving on from New Orleans and whether the Saints would be willing trade him. Teams are tracking and wondering about it.

Kamara's future is understandably a topic of interest in the wake of Etienne's signing. Will he retire? Will he be traded or cut? What's next for the long-time Saints' running back?

Because of how the Saints restructured Kamara's contract, the team is only on the hook for $3 million in guaranteed money ($11.5 in total), which could make a trade or release possible.

Given that Etienne is a similar profile of running back to Kamara—and frankly a major upgrade at this point in both of their respective careers—it's a safe bet that the Saints have been preparing for life without Kamara, one way or another. The 30-year-old rushed for just 471 yards and a touchdown in 11 games last season, adding 33 receptions for 186 yards.

For the five-time Pro Bowler, it was a significant downturn in production, even in an injury-shortened campaign. His games played, rushing yards, receptions, receiving yards and total touchdowns were all career lows.

The 27-year-old Etienne, meanwhile, rushed for 1,107 yards and seven scores last season while adding 36 catches for 292 yards and six scores. He isn't as impactful in the passing game as Kamara was in his prime but he'll be an immediate upgrade in the run game.

Whether that means he's leading a backfield platoon with Kamara remains unclear. There is obviously some uncertainty around the NFL regarding the latter's future.