Alvin Kamara Trade Packages and Best NFL Landing Spots After Saints Sign Travis Etienne

The New Orleans Saints made waves on Monday when they agreed to sign Travis Etienne to a four-year, $52 million deal in free agency. The addition of the veteran running back could indicate the end of an era for the franchise, with longtime star Alvin Kamara potentially on his way out following nine seasons in the Big Easy.

While there's a chance that New Orleans trots out a backfield platoon consisting of Etienne and Kamara in addition to Devin Neal and/or Kendre Miller, it seems more likely that Kamara will be the odd man out.

Per 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."

The finances of moving on from Kamara are sensible. Despite being owed $11.5 million for the 2026 campaign, Spotrac reported that the Saints utilized the 50 percent rule to reduce the back's guaranteed money down to just $3 million.

Although Kamara is no longer in his prime, the 30-year-old should still have something to offer a contending team as a depth option and homerun threat. He may be coming off an injury-shortened, career-worst campaign, but he's only a year removed from the last of eighth consecutive seasons with 1,160 or more yards and four-plus touchdowns from scrimmage.

Rather than release him and lose him for nothing in return, the Saints should be able to shop Kamara around and find a suitor interested in kicking over at least a Day 3 draft pick for his services. It remains to be seen if Kamara has relented on the statement he made back in October that he would retire and "go drink a pina colada somewhere" if dealt, but the star may be more receptive to a move following Etienne's arrival.

With that in mind, let's highlight some potential trade packages and ideal landing spots for Kamara.

Minnesota Vikings

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New Orleans Saints receive: 2026 sixth-round draft pick (No. 196)

Minnesota Vikings receive: RB Alvin Kamara

The Vikings are forging ahead without Aaron Jones Sr. in the mix, opting to release the back who served as the team's starter for the better part of the past two seasons. While the veteran was informed of his impending release earlier in the offseason, the club thus far hasn't unearthed a suitable replacement.

That hasn't been for a lack of effort apparently. According to the Athletic's Dianna Russini, the Vikings were one of the teams interested in signing Travis Etienne before the free agent back elected to join the Saints. While it may have stung the Vikings to lose out on Etienne, the former Jacksonville Jaguar's presence in New Orleans could open another option for Minnesota.

Trading for Kamara would help patch the hole created by Jones' release. While the Vikings still have Jordan Mason in the fold and are likely to elevate him to the RB1 spot, Kamara would make an ideal running mate alongside the four-year veteran.

Mason is a strong between-the-tackles style runner who can wear down defenses and generate early-down yardage. At this point in his career, Kamara is best utilized as a third-down back who can still do plenty of damage as a playmaking pass-catcher. He's No. 2 amongst active running backs in receiving yardage, trailing only Christian McCaffrey in that category.

With four picks in the final three rounds of the upcoming draft, the Vikings can afford to kick one over to New Orleans in exchange for a back who will plug one of their biggest holes and potentially contribute to a bounce-back campaign in the Twin Cities.

Denver Broncos

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New Orleans Saints receive: Two 2027 seventh-round draft picks (Nos. 256 and 257 overall)

Denver Broncos receive: RB Alvin Kamara

No coach has gotten more out of Kamara than Sean Payton. Payton was at the reins in New Orleans when the franchise drafted the back out of Tennessee in 2017 and helped the rookie prospect immediately blossom into a star.

During their tenure together with the Saints from 2017-21, Kamara averaged an eye-popping 1,500 yards and 13.4 touchdowns per season. He made the Pro Bowl in all five of those seasons and established himself as one of the NFL's great playmakers.

While Kamara's star has faded since Payton's departure after the 2021 campaign, he could rejuvenate his career by reuniting with his former coach in Denver.

The Broncos are on the cusp of making a Super Bowl push and just need a few offseason reinforcements to get over the hump.

The team came up painfully short this past season, falling in the AFC Championship Game largely due to the season-ending injury quarterback Bo Nix suffered in the previous round. A lack of backfield depth also hindered Denver's chances of breaking through.

The Broncos utilized the tandem of veteran J.K. Dobbins and rookie RJ Harvey effectively during the first half of the 2025 season but struggled to generate consistent rushing offense after Dobbins went down with injury. Harvey mustered a mere 57 yards and failed to score on any of his 19 postseason rushing attempts.

While Dobbins re-upped with Denver on a two-year deal, the Broncos could still benefit heavily from having Kamara in the mix as both insurance and a change-of-pace option to round out the platoon. The Broncos hold the final two selections in the 2026 draft and could package these up in exchange for his services.

Given Kamara's low costs and his familiarity with Payton's offensive system, this would be an ideal pairing that could elevate Denver's ground game to the NFL's upper echelon.

Kansas City Chiefs

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New Orleans Saints receive: 2025 fifth-round draft pick (No. 176)

Kansas City Chiefs receive: RB Alvin Kamara

The cracks in the Chiefs' foundation began to show in 2025. With the ground game breaking down even before star quarterback Patrick Mahomes suffered a season-ending ACL tear, the team wound up suffering through the worst year of the Andy Reid era and missed the playoffs for the first time in over a decade.

The plodding combination of Isiah Pacheco and Kareem Hunt barely broke 1,000 combined rushing yards, while Mahomes was forced to pick up the slack by chipping in a career-high 422 rushing yards and five touchdowns in just 14 games.

Kansas City knew it couldn't afford to slog through another campaign without some significant upgrades in the backfield. The team landed one of the gems in the 2026 free-agent class by signing reigning Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker III to a record three-year, $45 million contract.

While Walker will add some significant firepower to the Chiefs' ground attack, he shouldn't be tasked with shouldering the entire workload. He split time with Zack Charbonnet during his tenure with the Seattle Seahawks and could benefit from entering another timeshare with a playmaker like Kamara in Kansas City.

With both Pacheco and Hunt potentially on their way out in free agency, a deal for Kamara could provide the Chiefs with their new backup at a low cost. With three picks in the fifth round of the 2026 draft, Kansas City shouldn't hesitate to send one over to New Orleans for a versatile change-of-pace option who could round out the new-look backfield.

Seattle Seahawks

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New Orleans Saints receive: OG Christian Haynes

Seattle Seahawks receive: RB Alvin Kamara

The Seattle Seahawks may have just captured the Lombardi Trophy, but it's going to be tough to stay on top after a slew of roster attrition hit the defending champs to open the offseason.

Following a wave of retirements and free agency departures, the Seahawks find themselves in desperate need of help at several positions. Running back is one of the more notable holes after Super Bowl LX MVP Kenneth Walker III elected to take his talents to Kansas City.

Walker's absence leaves Zach Charbonnet as the RB1 in Seattle. Charbonnet notably suffered a torn ACL early in the team's Divisional playoff game against the rival San Francisco 49ers and underwent surgery for the ailment in late-February. While he's expected to make a full recovery and lead the backfield upon his return, Seattle can't afford to go into the 2026 campaign without some reinforcements in the backfield.

The draft won't be an ideal way for Seattle to reload on running backs. Although there are three backs in the top-40 of the Bleacher Report Scouting Department's post-combine big board, the Seahawks currently hold a meager four selections in the 2026 draft and should instead utilize those picks on positions tougher to find quality talent at.

With the free-agent market running dry, a trade for Kamara could be the most sensible choice to find a one-year stopgap who can help Seattle repeat as champions.

The Seahawks could entice the Saints to trade them Kamara by offering some help in the offensive trenches. Seattle has one of the best o-lines in football with plenty of depth, making a player like backup guard Christian Haynes expendable.

While Haynes was a third-round pick in the 2024 draft, he hasn't lived up to expectations during his first two seasons in the league and has only seen the field for 199 offensive snaps. A change of scenery and a fresh start in the Big Easy could help Haynes find his footing in the NFL.