The New Orleans Saints and running back Alvin Kamara have agreed on a two-year contract extension worth $24.5 million, which will last through the 2026 season.
The Saints announced the deal on Tuesday night after Kamara expressed some unhappiness about his contract situation during training camp, though he chose not to hold out.
Kamara has surpassed 1,000 yards from scrimmage in all seven of his seasons and is the franchise’s all-time leader in touchdowns with 85.
This season, Kamara has started all seven games for New Orleans, rushing for 438 yards and scoring six touchdowns. He has also caught a team-high 34 passes for 252 yards, including a touchdown that went for 57 yards.
Because of how his previous contract was set up, he was likely to be released before next season, when he would have been owed nearly $25 million in non-guaranteed salary.
Kamara said he wasn’t looking for a pay raise but wanted an extension that would give him guaranteed money in future seasons.
Kamara chose not to hold out because he didn’t want to disappoint his teammates and coaches, who had no part in his stalled contract talks.
The Saints drafted Kamara in the third round of the 2017 NFL draft from Tennessee, and he won AP Offensive Rookie of the Year honors.
In addition to being the franchise leader in touchdowns, Kamara also leads in rushing touchdowns with 60, yards from scrimmage with 10,738, and all-purpose yardage with 11,396.
His 6,267 rushing yards rank second in Saints history, and he needs 234 more yards to surpass Mark Ingram for the club record.
