Tag: holdout

Alvin Kamara wants to remain a Saint for life, will play under current contract

Alvin Kamara says he wants to remain a Saint for life, and he will play on his current contract if necessary: ‘I want to retire here’

New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara has been negotiating his current contract in hopes of getting more security down the road, and this has led to some questions about his status for the upcoming season. When he showed up to camp and did not hold out, it was a good sign that he would play or workout through these negotiations, but Wednesday Kamara dispelled the chance of a holdout altogether.

Kamara made his goal clear during Wednesday’s his media availability: “I want to be a Saint. I want to retire here.” He also went on to say that if he does not get a new deal, “I’m here. I’m playing.”

Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football also said that after Wednesday’s training camp, Kamara helped Derek Carr by taking his helmet and cleats back to the locker room for him. Kamara added that he didn’t consider holding out as it would risk hurting his teammates, while also costing him more money — and his goal is to earn more, not give it up.

Ultimately, Kamara made it clear that he does want his money in this media availability, but from these quotes it is also clear that he has no intention to harm or disrupt the team in doing so, and will participate when asked to. This is a great sign for the season, and if a deal does get done, it would be nice to know one of the franchise legends can play out his career with the one team he has known at the NFL level.

“I want it to be fair. At the same time I’m not chasing nothing that’s outlandish or that’s, like, off-putting,” Kamara mused. “That should be off-putting. So I don’t know. I’m just doing my duty.”

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Alvin Kamara has reported for New Orleans Saints training camp

Some have wondered if Alvin Kamara would show up for the start of Saints training camp. With camp officially starting Wednesday, Kamara has arrived:

NewOrleans.Football’s Nick Underhill first reported that Alvin Kamara had reported to New Orleans Saints training camp, which was confirmed by Nola.com’s Luke Johnson. Kamara’s presence was an ongoing topic of conversation over the last month.

Kamara left early on the last day of minicamp, reportedly with the intention of getting a new contract. There has been minimal information that has come out since that day, but one piece of news that has circulated is Kamara is uncomfortable with the lack of guaranteed money in his deal after this year. That would make him a possible salary cap casualty in 2025.

There haven’t, however, in reports about the sides getting closer on a deal. That has left some to wonder how Kamara would approach training camp. Would he show up? The answer is yes. There would have been steep financial consequences had he not.

Now that he showed up, what now? His arrival doesn’t mean anything has changed from his perspective. He could be just as hungry for an extension as he was in June.

Kamara could choose to “hold-in.” This means he won’t participate in practice but is still at the facility. It creates a clear stance without having to endure the fines. The story isn’t over, but we’ve made it through the first checkpoint. Alvin Kamara is at Saints training camp. Let’s see what he’s planning next.

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How much could a Saints training camp holdout cost Alvin Kamara?

How much could a Saints training camp holdout cost Alvin Kamara? He’d lose almost a full weekly game check in fines for each practice he misses, if he doesn’t report:

Will Alvin Kamara report for training camp when the New Orleans Saints gather at UC Irvine later this week? The expectation is that he’ll be there with all his teammates, but his situation is different from most.

Kamara checked out of mandatory minicamp practices early this spring while embroiled in a contract dispute. He’s shared regular updates on social media from his usual offseason training program, and he clearly intends to work this fall. But does he plan on joining the team for camp in Southern California? Or will he hold out and try to pressure the front office into agreeing to terms on a new deal?

That would be expensive — prohibitively so for most players. According to Article 42, Section 1(b)(vi) of the NFL’s collective bargaining agreement, veteran players like Kamara are subject to $50,000 in fines for each training camp practice they miss during a holdout. And teams are not allowed to waive those fees as was the case under the last CBA. Last year he earned about $63,000 in weekly game checks.

It’s still worth it for some players. Kansas City Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones paid nearly $2 million in fines last summer before he and the team shook hands on a new deal. But for the vast majority of pros they’re better served by showing up to work and only participating in limited drills, or spectating from the sidelines, until their demands are met.

Kamara isn’t asking the world of the Saints. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler has reported that Kamara wants more guarantees in 2025 to gain some long-term security for himself. While he’s due $25 million next season none of it is guaranteed, which makes him a possible salary cap casualty. There’s a middle ground between what he’s seeking and what the team is willing to pay, but so far the two sides haven’t been able to find it.

So will he report for the start of camp — the conditioning test on July 23? That’s what we’re waiting to see. Whether Kamara is around, active, and participating is going to be a major storyline for at least the next few days. Hopefully both sides can reach a compromise so one of the best players in Saints history can finish his career where it started.

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Time is ticking on an Alvin Kamara contract extension before training camp

Training camp is around the corner, and there’s no news on an Alvin Kamara contract extension. Is a holdout on the table for the star running back?

New Orleans Saints star Alvin Kamara checked out of the last day of minicamp early, and it’s been crickets ever since.

The five-time Pro Bowl running back left amid a contract dispute, but it’s important to note he never sat out. His unhappiness never led to him skipping practice. With training camp on the horizon, it’ll be interesting to see if Kamara handles the situation the same way.

If Kamara chooses to sit out, the Saints can fine him $50,000 per day that he misses. Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones lost a total of $2 million by sitting out all of training camp last summer. The Chiefs put easy incentives into his new contract for him to recoup those fines, but not every team will be as generous.

To avoid fines, we’ve seen players “sit-in” during training camp. Players using this method show up to practice, but usually don’t participate beyond warmups. This is much kinder to the player’s pockets while still getting their point across.

The only report that has come out since minicamp is he wants a new contract that includes some sort of guarantee beyond this season. There’s been no inkling on if the two sides have made any progress or not.

Alvin Kamara’s presence and participation level is one of the most important storylines to watch at Saints training camp.

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Report suggests Cowboys WR CeeDee Lamb may holdout of training camp

From @ToddBrock24f7: 2023’s receptions leader “is expected to miss training camp if he doesn’t get a new deal.” It would be the latest frustration in Dallas.

It wasn’t a big deal when Cowboys receiver CeeDee Lamb missed the team’s voluntary workouts waiting for a contract extension. And even though it earned him a five-figure fine, it wasn’t necessarily a problem that he skipped minicamp earlier this month in protest.

But the Cowboys are set to reconvene in Oxnard, Calif. in under a month for the beginning of a training camp that looks to be massively important to the immediate future of the franchise, and reports suggest that without a new agreement in place, Lamb is prepared to stay away from that, too.

According to Calvin Watkins of the Dallas Morning News, the 25-year-old who led the league in receptions last year and set a single-season club record for receiving yards “is expected to miss training camp if he doesn’t get a new deal.”

Lamb is currently slated to play on the fifth-year option that the Cowboys placed on him and would be due $17.99 million for the 2024 season. The Vikings’ Justin Jefferson, the Eagles’ A.J. Brown, the Lions’ Amon-Ra St. Brown, and the Dolphins’ Jaylen Waddle have all signed huge contracts in the past two months, each of them worth over $28.25 million average annual value.

It appears that Lamb is tired of coming in at a discount, and therefore may not be coming in at all until it’s rectified.

Seven-time first-team All-Pro guard Zack Martin employed a similar approach last year, holding out of camp for roughly three weeks before the club granted him a raise that amounted to an extra $8 million over the 2023 and 2024 seasons.

Martin later admitted that the holdout impacted his readiness for the 2023 season opener and affected his play for much of the season.

If Lamb is absent from camp, soon-to-be-31-year-old Brandin Cooks would serve as the offense’s top receiving threat. Behind him is a collection of young and mostly inexperienced wide receivers who- combined- accounted for all of 40 catches last season.

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The Cowboys say they’re not worried about Lamb not being ready to line up and go. He’s been working out on his own, and quarterback Dak Prescott explained that the two would log some time together over the summer, as has become tradition for Prescott and his pass-catchers.

But in an offseason when there are so many concerning details for Cowboys fans to read into about how their team is handling its business and its superstar players, a training camp no-show from Lamb would only ratchet up the angst a few more clicks.

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ESPN reports what Alvin Kamara is looking for in Saints contract talks

ESPN reports Alvin Kamara ‘could be a threat to miss training camp’ if he doesn’t get more future security in New Orleans Saints contract extension talks:

Just what was Alvin Kamara looking to achieve by exiting New Orleans Saints minicamp early last week? ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports that it’s the opening salvo in what may turn into a messy summer of contract talks as Kamara looks for more assurances that his future in football remains in New Orleans.

Fowler shared what he’s hearing on Kamara during an appearance on ESPN SportsCenter.

“I can confirm he missed the final day of minicamp, and that was contract-related,” Fowler said. “He’s got two years left on his deal, he’s due $11.8 million this year. The problem is next year he’s due $25 million non-guaranteed, the Saints, there’s no way that they are going pay that. I’m told Kamara is open to doing a reworked two-year deal, strengthen his guarantees in Year 1 (2025). They’ve talked about it. So far, not a lot of momentum. We’ll see if something shakes out, but he could be a threat to miss training camp if they don’t get something done before late July.”

That’s a bold threat, if Kamara is indeed committed to a training camp holdout. Under the new collective bargaining agreement — Article 42, Section 1(b)(vi) — veteran players under contract are subject to a mandatory fine of $50,000 per day they remain away from the team during training camp. For context, Kamara received weekly game checks of about $63,000 in salary last season.

Training camp includes 21 practice dates, so if he holds out the entire time that’s potentially $1.05 million lost in fines. While Kamara can technically afford it, having earned more than $43 million in his contracts with the Saints alone (to say nothing of endorsements), effectively losing a year’s salary isn’t appealing. And this isn’t about him wanting a higher salary, it’s about ensuring he’ll get to be a lifer and finish his playing career where it started.

The modern CBA also does not allow teams to rescind or waive those fines as in the past should both sides reach an agreement on a new contract. It’s been an effective deterrent against holdouts. Some players like Deebo Samuel and Derwin James have attempted “hold-ins” by showing up to camp each day and working out alone on the side while refusing to participate in team drills, but this approach has drawn mixed results.

Additionally, Fowler pointed to Klint Kubiak’s experience with the San Francisco 49ers last year informing his plans for Kamara, which may have helped push the running back to this crossroads: “Kamara’s got to play that Christian McCaffrey role, and McCaffrey just got paid. So that changes things. Kamara’s going to need more money.”

Kamara has spoken about how great a fit Kubiak’s offense is for him, so we’re guessing he wants to settle into it right away. He spent his spring like he usually does, training on his own in Miami while communicating with his coaches (including Kubiak) and teammates almost daily. We’ll just have to wait and see whether the threat of a holdout materializes into something serious, or if it’s even necessary. Kamara’s teammates like Jamaal Williams have publicly supported his efforts to get a new deal, but the longer this draws out, the greater a distraction it may cause. There’s room for compromise to make both sides happy. Let’s see if the Saints and Kamara can find it.

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Sean Payton not concerned about Broncos WR Courtland Sutton skipping OTAs

“There isn’t any concern … That will sort itself out,” Broncos coach Sean Payton said of WR Courtland Sutton skipping the team’s OTAs.

Denver Broncos wide receiver Courtland Sutton skipped the team’s offseason workouts earlier this year as he seeks a revised contract. The 28-year-old receiver’s holdout carried over into organized team activities this week with Sutton skipping three practice sessions.

Broncos coach Sean Payton seemed unconcerned when asked about Sutton’s absence after Thursday’s practice.

“There isn’t any concern,” Payton said. “Here’s why: I know Courtland. He’s a tremendous worker. You guys know him. [He has] a tremendous makeup, leader of our team. That will sort itself out.”

Payton’s remarks echo general manager George Paton downplaying the receiver’s absence in April.

“I mean, it’s 100 percent voluntary,” Paton said before the NFL draft. “It’s the first week of the offseason program. Sean has talked to Courtland; I’ve talked to Courtland. He’s in a good place, and I’ll just leave it at that.”

Denver received trade calls about Sutton before and during the draft, but the Broncos did not make a move. The team seemingly wants to keep Sutton around. It remains to be seen if they’ll agree to adjust his contract to keep him happy. If Sutton skips mandatory minicamp in June, the team can fine him up to $101,716 if he misses all three days.

Sutton has a base salary of $13 million this year with only $2 million guaranteed. His salary will increase to $13.5 million next year, but he’ll have no guaranteed money in 2024.

Denver will hold mandatory minicamp from June 11-13. We’ll see if there’s a resolution before then.

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Offseason holdout possible for Cowboys WR CeeDee Lamb amid extension wait

From @ToddBrock24f7: With the Cowboys’ voluntary sessions set to kick off next week, Lamb may be sitting out until he gets his record-setting extension.

The Cowboys’ offseason program begins in one week, although all activities will be voluntary only. Wide receiver CeeDee Lamb could be taking advantage of that important qualifier.

As Michael Gehlken of the Dallas Morning News speculates, a holdout from the fifth-year superstar is a very real possibility as he waits for a contract extension.

Lamb is due $17.99 million in 2024 under the fifth-year option picked up by the club in April of 2023. But coming off a campaign in which he set the Cowboys’ all-time single-season receptions and receiving yards records, led the league in catches, earned his third Pro Bowl bid, and was named a first-team All-Pro, Lamb’s salary represents an absolute bargain.

Lamb’s next contract is expected to reset the market at the wide receiver position, catapulting him above Tyreek Hill and the $30 million per year he makes in Miami.

Without that kind of money promised to him in writing, it’s hard to imagine Lamb showing up for meetings and strength and conditioning workouts. Live reps against a defense won’t start until May 24 (those are voluntary as well), and mandatory minicamp won’t kick off until June 4.

Gehlken also points out that Lamb traditionally gets together during the offseason with quarterback Dak Prescott and other Cowboys receivers for their own independent throwing sessions. Beyond that, Lamb could “hold in” once mandatory minicamp begins, attending sessions at the facility but sitting out of practices and other drills that might result in injury.

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The Cowboys have said that getting Lamb signed to an extension is a priority, but the front office has several other pressing contracts to work out, too; namely, for Dak Prescott and Micah Parsons.

Waiting- on any of them- only adds to the uncertainty that seems guaranteed to swirl around the Cowboys for the next 10 months.

The next move could be Lamb’s. And electing not to move at all may be the way he plays it come Monday.

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Chiefs TE Travis Kelce ecstatic to have Chris Jones back on defense

Travis Kelce didn’t mince words when telling reporters how happy he is that Chris Jones is back on the #Chiefs’ defense.

Kansas City Chiefs All-Pro defensive tackle Chris Jones made his 2023 regular season debut in Week 2 and quickly showed why the team missed him in Week 1.

Jones earned 1.5 sacks and a batted pass during Kansas City’s 17-9 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars, showing that while he may have missed offseason workouts and the preseason, his game never actually went anywhere.

One person who was seen having a good time with Jones was Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, who was super excited to have Jones back with the team.

“It’s just an interesting scenario, man,” Kelce said after the game. “I just want to make sure that he felt … that he’s every part of this from the jump that he’s always been. I love that guy.”

Jones’ absence from the team was purely contract-related. Long story short, Jones wanted a multi-year deal and to be paid like a top defensive lineman. Jones and the Chiefs weren’t able to come to an agreement that satisfied those terms, so the two agreed to a one-year deal with performance-based incentives added for Jones to earn throughout the season.

It may not have been what Jones wanted, but it’ll at least hold him over for the rest of the year. In the meantime, Jones can get back on the field and do what he does best.

“You know, sometimes contracts and things like that can kind of … get in the way, or at least the media can portray people to be somebody they’re not,” Kelce said. “I just wanted to make sure he knew we were happy as hell to get him back out there on the field and in the building. His energy is needed, man.”

Chiefs TE Travis Kelce clarifies comments on Chris Jones’ holdout

#Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce clarified his comments on Chris Jones holdout after addressing the lineman’s absence on his podcast last week. | from: @EdEastonJr

The start of the 2023 NFL season is this Thursday, with the Kansas City Chiefs kicking things off at home against the Detroit Lions. The Chiefs have the opportunity to defend their Super Bowl title with many returning players, one of whom likely won’t be on the field this week due to his ongoing holdout.

Chiefs All-Pro defensive tackle Chris Jones remains absent from the team, with negotiations regarding his contract still an issue. Fellow All-Pro and teammate Travis Kelce made a suggested plea for Jones to return to the team during the most recent episode of his New Heights podcast with brother Jason Kelce. During Monday’s press conference, Kelce addressed his comments on the podcast and revealed his last communication with Jones.

“I was more so just trying to have some fun with talking about the situation. Try and bring light to it just trying to be funny,” said Kelce, “But at the end of the day, you know, Chris has his situation. He has his reasons. It ain’t none of my business. I’m trying to win football games, and hopefully, we can get him back as soon as possible because I know how great of a player he really is.”

Jones joined the Chiefs tight end recently in filming a commercial for DIRECTV, which is ironically the last time they both spoke, according to Kelce. He didn’t want to pry into his business and explained to reporters his reasons.

“I don’t know what his situation is,” Kelce explained. “I stay out of everybody else’s situation in terms of that, just so I don’t wrap my head around. You know what I’m doing but or what they’re doing based off of my intentions.

“I just, I just keep it moving, man. Hopefully, like I said, we can get it back. And we can just be the best football team we possibly can. But I never based someone else’s situations or their decision-making off of, you know, things that I may have done. I just don’t think it’s fair.”

Kelce did mention that he had a blast working with Jones on the comedic commercial during the offseason.