Tag: contract

Alvin Kamara puts pen to paper on his new Saints contract extension

Alvin Kamara put pen to paper on his new Saints contract extension, emphasizing how it feels to have his loyalty reciprocated:

It’s been a big week for Alvin Kamara. The New Orleans Saints running back signed a two-year contract extension tying him to the team through 2026, giving him the opportunity to finish his career with the team that drafted  him. And for Kamara, it was great to see the loyalty he’s expressed be reciprocated.

“This city has been loyal to me. This organization has been loyal to me. I don’t feel like I would get this same feeling I get putting on the fleur-de-lis anywhere else,” Kamara told reporters this week.

Kamara did everything he could to emphasize his loyalty to the team by working hard every day at training camp (and not holding out), being a good leader and positive locker room influence, and even playing through injury.  And his efforts were recognized. Saints head coach Dennis Allen praised Kamara’s approach throughout the process.

“I think he handled it the right way,” Allen said. “He has been very productive for us and this year, he has been outstanding for us. He’s come in every day and gone to work, done the things we’ve asked him to do, so when you do those things you get rewarded.”

Now the five-time Pro Bowler gets to finish his career in black and gold. Kamara turned 29 in July and he has the rest of 2024, all of 2025 and a penultimate 2026 season to continue building his legacy. Will he keep going after that? We’ll see. But for now, this is a win for him. No wonder he was all smiles when signing his contract.

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Early extension saved Saints a ton of money against the 2025 salary cap

An early extension with Alvin Kamara saved the Saints a ton of money against the 2025 salary cap. Next year’s cap gymnastics just got easier:

Now that’s some crafty accounting, but we’ve come to expect it from the New Orleans Saints. Alvin Kamara reached an agreement on a two-year extension with the Saints this week, and NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reports that the move is saving the team some money when it comes to the 2025 salary cap. Kamara’s early extension opened up about $18 million in savings on next year’s spending limit.

So how did the Saints manage to pay Kamara more money while spending less against the cap? We’ll know more when further details are shared about his deal’s structure, but NewOrleans.Football’s Nick Underhill shares that it includes a $15.5 million signing bonus and $22.23 million in guarantees.

Kamara was initially on the books for 2025 at a staggering cap hit north of $29 million, with $25 million of it non-guaranteed, which made him a possible salary cap casualty. Instead, the Saints guaranteed a big portion of it but spread it out as a signing bonus (likely with their signature automatically-voiding “ghost years” tacked on).

The end result? Kamara’s 2025 cap hit should now fall at around $11 million, which is very manageable. And the Saints should now have somewhere close to $324 million in cap liabilities. Depending on where you look the 2025 salary cap is projected to rise to as high as $273 million, though more conservative models put it at just $260 million. The Saints still need to clear  at least $64 million before they can turn to signing new players, but that’s a problem for another day.

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Breaking: Saints, Alvin Kamara agree on a two-year extension

Breaking: Saints, Alvin Kamara agree on a two-year extension

This is big: NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo reports that Alvin Kamara and the New Orleans Saints have agreed to terms on a two-year extension valued at $24.5 million that puts him under contract through 2026. The deal puts Kamara in position to retire with the team that drafted him out of Tennessee back in 2017, and it puts him on track to continue chasing that spot in the Pro Football Hall of Fame he so badly covets.

Garafolo adds that Kamara’s new deal replaces the $25 million in non-guaranteed money he was due in 2025. Instead, he receives $22 million in guarantees with an extra year tacked on. NewOrleans.Football’s Nick Underhill confirmed the news, observing that Kamara’s reported average annual value clocks in at about $12.25 million per year, just beneath the $12.5 million Saquon Barkley is earning from the Philadelphia Eagles,

Kamara has already won a host of awards and records in his storied NFL career. The five-time Pro Bowl running back tied a league record for the most touchdowns scored in a single game (6), and he’s also tied with the great Marshall Faulk for the most successful two-point conversions in league history (7). The 2017 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year already owns Saints franchise records for touchdowns scored (85 and counting) and rushing touchdowns (60, with more to come), and he’s closing in quickly on the career rushing yards record set by his close friend Mark Ingram II (he’s 234 yards away). If he can go the distance, it’ll be tough to keep him out of Canton when it’s all said and done.

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What is Oklahoma Head Coach Brent Venables buy out for 2024?

What is the buy-out for Oklahoma Football head coach Brent Venables according to USA TODAY Sports salary database?

The Sooners have not had a season that lives up to the lofty expectations at the University of Oklahoma. In his third year with the Sooners, [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag] is staring at his second losing season.

There will be changes at some point because this team’s offensive performance hasn’t been good enough. Brent Venables, the head coach who made the hires, bears that responsibility. At the same time, he’s helped turn the defense into a good one.

Venables has recruited well, and after a 10-win season in 2023, he was rewarded with an extension from the OU Board of Regents. His current contract is set to run through the 2029 season. Venables’ contract ranks No. 15 in the nation, just behind Dan Lanning who was hired at Oregon the same offseason the Sooners brought Venables to Oklahoma.

While some might want to see changes from the top down, it may not be reasonable for the Sooners to move on from Brent Venables despite this season’s disappointment. According to the USA TODAY Sports Coaching Salary database, Venables’ buy-out on Dec. 1 would be $44.8 million.

That buy-out is No. 10 in the nation in 2024 and the fifth-highest in the SEC. Only Kirby Smart, Kalen DeBoer, Brian Kelly, and Steve Sarkisian have larger buy-outs in 2024.

The Oklahoma Sooners have some big questions to answer moving forward, in particular on the offensive side of the ball. But the head coach may be given more time to get it right.

Report: Contract talks ‘reopened’ between the Saints and Alvin Kamara

NOF’s Nick Underhill reports contract talks reopened between the Saints and Alvin Kamara. No. 41 wants to be a New Orleans lifer:

If Alvin Kamara gets his way, he’ll finish his career in pro football with the New Orleans Saints. The Pro Bowl running back has done his part to earn a new deal before his contract runs out (or the Saints have to make a tough decision and cut him in 2025), playing through injury and rejecting rumors of a training camp holdout. But contract negotiations were slow to develop over the summer, and he’s still on track to be released in the spring before the team has to pay him any non-guaranteed money.

Per NewOrleans.Football’s Nick Underhill, those talks reopened. It had been previously reported that Kamara tabled those discussions once the regular season started, since he didn’t want them to become a distraction when he was preparing for a game every week. Either he changed his stance or the team expressed such a great willingness to talk shop that he gave his agent the green light to pick up the phone.

This all comes as false rumors are spreading online about Kamara requesting a trade away from the Saints, which he publicly denied. When Underhill suggested that, if anything, Kamara wanted to stick around? Kamara kept his response direct: “Correct.”

Will the two sides ultimately come to an agreement? If the team’s early-season success is anything to go off of, he can still be part of the long-term solution as his career winds down. Better blocking and more creative play calling than what we saw with Pete Carmichael on the headset had Kamara looking like a possible Hall of Famer again. If the Saints plan on Klint Kubiak driving their offense (or someone running a similar offense), it would make sense to keep Kamara around.

But as Underhill said, nothing is imminent, so we’ll have to wait and see if this ends how Kamara — and the many fans who wear his jersey every Sunday — hope.

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No, Alvin Kamara did not request a trade from the Saints: ‘That’s a lie’

Alvin Kamara took time out of his Saturday to say, no, he did not request a trade from the Saints. He wants to sign an extension and stay in New Orleans:


Don’t believe everything you read on the Internet, even if it comes from a random fantasy football analyst with a couple thousand Twitter followers. Alvin Kamara had to take time out of his college football Saturday to say, no, he did not request a trade from the New Orleans Saints. He’s traveling to Knoxville to see if Tennessee can knock out Alabama again this year.

If anything, Kamara would rather sign an extension to become a Saints lifer. Everything he’s done this year has been in pursuit of that goal. Right now, the Saints are set to cut him in the spring rather than pay the non-guaranteed money left on his contract. He left minicamp early to put pressure on the front office. He didn’t hold out of training camp to make good on his word and support his teammates. He’s actively playing through hand and rib injuries to show he’s committed to helping them win football games.

He wants to stay in New Orleans and be able to say he’s spent his entire career with one team. Even if they’ve fallen into a 2-5 slump with poor coaching, injuries, and poor effort costing them games. If the Saints trade Kamara, it won’t be because he asked them to.

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USA TODAY Sports deems Billy Napier college football’s most overpaid HC

USA TODAY Sports’ annual college football head coach salary report is out, and experts conclude that Billy Napier is the most overpaid coach in 2024.

Florida head coach [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag] is on top of USA TODAY Sports’ list of the most overpaid head coaches in the country.

At the midway point of Year 3 under Napier, the Gators are 14-17 overall and could be headed for a third-straight losing season. Napier is set to earn $7,370,000 this year, according to USA TODAY Sports’ annual analysis of coaches’ compensation, and the math works out to about $1 million per win so far.

Those kinds of results are not acceptable at the University of Florida and usually mean a change is coming. Many believe this will be Napier’s last season with the Gators, which shifts the focus to buyout numbers.

To fire Napier without cause — no, losing a bunch of games in the SEC is not enough to fire someone with cause — it would cost Florida $26,704,167. Keep in mind that Florida would also have to fork over some big bucks to find a suitable replacement for Napier, but that’s never stopped the boosters in the past. After all, this is the SEC — where “it just means more.”

It appears the only path for Napier to save his job is beating the two remaining unranked opponents on the schedule — Florida State and Kentucky — and pulling off an upset against Georgia, LSU, Ole Miss or Texas to reach bowl eligibility. Even then, the athletic department could decide to move on.

Other overpaid head coaches

Napier isn’t the only SEC head coach on this list. Second-year Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze is right behind him after starting off 2-4 following a losing 2023 season.

Wisconsin head coach Luke Fickell is third on the list, and there’s a clear trend developing. Napier had success at Louisiana, Freeze thrived at Liberty and Fickell made the College Football Playoff with Cincinnati. All three have struggled to duplicate that success in a major conference.

Fourth on the list is Florida State’s Mike Norvell, who is coming off an undefeated regular season. It’s shocking to think that a team can go 12-0 and have a coach on the hot seat one year later, but Florida State has been cursed since missing the College Football Playoff last year.

Georgia demolished them by 60 points in the Orange and Bowl, and Florida State would have to win out to even reach bowl eligibility in 2024 after starting the year 1-5. However, moving on from Norvell appears unlikely with a $63.8 million buyout.

Rounding out the group is former NFL quarterback Trent Dilfer at the University of Alabama-Birmingham. Before Dilfer took over, UAB was one of the top Group of Five programs in the country, but the Blazers are 5-13 since.

“The former Super Bowl-winning quarterback will go down as one of the worst hires of the decade,” said USA TODAY’s Paul Myerbeg.

Follow us @GatorsWire on X, formerly known as Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.

ESPN suggests Saints could move a starter at the NFL trade deadline

If they keep losing, ESPN suggests the New Orleans Saints could move a starter at the NFL trade deadline. But would they trade Chase Young?

If they keep losing, ESPN’s Dan Graziano and Jeremy Fowler suggested the New Orleans Saints could move a starter at the NFL trade deadline. But would they trade Chase Young? That would be the clearest signal Mickey Loomis could send that his team is going in the tank, but you can’t imagine that’s something head coach Dennis Allen would sign off on.

Still, never say never. Teams like the Detroit Lions are desperate for a pass rusher after losing Aidan Hutchinson to a broken leg. Here’s the case for dealing Young at the Nov. 5 trade deadline from ESPN:

Graziano: What about Chase Young? The Saints really like the guy and could be interested in signing him to a long-term deal, but if they check in and don’t feel good about their chances of doing that, could he be on the move for the second deadline in a row?

Fowler: That’s not a bad call. Young signed a one-year deal with New Orleans in hopes of parlaying it into a new contract with the team. With the Saints sitting at 2-4, perhaps the organization would listen to offers closer to the deadline. I’d be mildly surprised if anything happens. Young garnered a third-round pick in last year’s trade from Washington to San Francisco, and now that he’s fully healthy and playing productive snaps, I would surmise New Orleans wouldn’t accept anything less in a deal, if it even considers it.

It feels unlikely. While they haven’t reflected it on the weekly depth chart, Young has replaced Cameron Jordan in the starting lineup. Young has taken almost all of the snaps from the right defensive end spot, with Carl Granderson playing ahead of Jordan on the left side. He’s become a critically important player for the Saints up front.

Young may not have the sacks (1.5 in 6 games) but he generates a ton of pressure and demands attention from the offensive line. His 25 quarterback pressures at Pro Football Focus rank ninth-most at defensive end. Granderson has had 26 pressures, which are fourth-most. Jordan ranks 49th with 11.

If you read the writing on the wall and look at the salary cap sheet, it sure looks like the Saints are hoping Young can be the long-term replacement for Jordan. This could be the last year for No. 94 if he chooses to retire and start a full-time career in football media. Jordan’s cap hit next year is over $20 million but just $9 million of it is guaranteed. The math is pretty simple there.

Still, Young will be a free agent in 2025, and the best compensation the Saints could hope for if he leaves is a third-round pick in 2026. It’s certainly possible things deteriorate so badly this season that they decide to trade him, get a third rounder (or better) a year sooner, and then restart the search for Jordan’s replacement. But it sure would be more convenient if that guy were already in the building making plays across from Granderson.

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Report: Saints ‘monitoring’ Davante Adams trade situation

ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports the New Orleans Saints are ‘monitoring’ the trade buzz surrounding Davante Adams:

Here’s the latest scoop on the Davante Adams front, courtesy of ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. Trade rumors still surround the Las Vegas Raiders as they consider their options with the star wide receiver, who is currently dealing with a minor (and convenient) hamstring injury. And the New Orleans Saints have been linked to him.

While the widespread expectation is for Aaron Rodgers to push the New York Jets into pursuing Adams, Fowler reports that it’s no sure thing he’ll end up joining them. Other teams are in the mix, and, “I’m told the Saints are monitoring. You have the Derek Carr connection there.”

Fowler adds that the key issue will be Adams’ salary, and how much of it the Raiders are willing to pay to facilitate a trade. Teams running tight against the salary cap like the Saints are going to need that help, and it could spur  them into offering a sweeter deal than the Jets.

Let’s say the Jets offer a third-round pick while asking the Raiders to pay $5 million of Adams’ remaining salary. What if the Saints pony up a second rounder in exchange for Las Vegas covering $8 million? That’s what this could come down to, and it all hinges on how much urgency the Raiders feel to get Adams out of the building. But this is just speculation. The trade deadline is a month away on Nov. 5 and there’s plenty of time for this situation to develop further.

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Alvin Kamara is our pick for Saints Offensive Player of September

Alvin Kamara has been the best player on the team through four weeks, silencing his doubters. He is our pick for Saints Offensive Player of September:

Alvin Kamara is the New Orleans Saints’ unequivocal offensive MVP through the first month of the season. There is little question of who has been the best player not only on the offense but the team in general.

This was the exact impact Klint Kubiak was supposed to have when he came into New Orleans. Dennis Allen hired Kubiak to rejuvenate a stagnant offense. The Shannahan-Kubiak system is the most sought after offensive scheme in the league and it starts with the running backs.

Kamara seemed to be held back by how he was used. Kamara’s strong start to the season only further confirmed this belief. He is back to being dynamic in the run game and the passing attack. The latter had faded recently without the creative routes and opportunities we saw earlier in his career.

Kamara has the most rushing touchdowns and scrimmage yards in the NFL going into Week 5. He’s taken the increased workload and is turning it into one of the most productive seasons in his career.

Some questioned if Kamara lost his explosiveness. The answer is clearly no. In a contract year, the start to the season has silenced many doubters.

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