I think you are taking the PR at face value too much. What a player, their agent, or the team says in negotiations may often just be a negotiating tactic. Some players really do want to play their entire career with one franchise, others want to go where they can win, and others want to follow the money. In negotiations where a players demands are not being met, but outside demand is also soft, it can be a good negotiating tactic to emphasize loyalty and legacy with the home team, to try to drum up public support for an extension and convince the team to offer a little more based on fans contagious optimism. Fans often want to see defectors fail and loyal players succeed, so when a player broadcasts their supposed loyalty, fan expectations can rise.

I have no doubt there are legitimately loyal players. And also, there are players who don't like moving and like their home team but are also greedy for contract numbers their performance makes hard to justify.

Last season, Cam Jordan played the same tune about wanting to retire a Saint and how loyal he was, then talked the team into an unnecessary extension with big guarantees just as he was aging into decline, and the Saints ended up in 2024 paying $14 million for a player coming off 2 sacks who will supposedly get healthier as they age and never again twist and ankle wrestling 350lb men. This offseason Jordan restructured, but didn't take any pay cut despite greatly diminished performance, while many teammates did. Jordan may love the Saints, but ultimately he is going to cash out every dollar he can, even as his performance declines, despite the strains that may put the team under. He is loyal to .500. You will never see and apology for letting fans down, only business is business.

In light of this, and rumors the Saints are already offering Kamara above market when players like Davis took below market deals coming off better years, I think the reality is that Kamara is probably all business here and looking to back up the Brinks truck in Metairie. He might prefer to retire a Saint, or he might be just as well to go to the Jets if they write a big check, but right now given that his last 2 years performances are not setting the world on fire, I think the loyalty and legacy card is just a negotiating tactic.

Kamara is under contract. We have a younger backup. No sane 29 year old running back is walking away from almost $12 million. It is virtually impossible that Kamara could put up a performance in 2024 that would lead other teams to bid more than $12 million a year on a 30 year old RB, as McCaffery only had that value to the 49ers for being already proven in their system that was already in Super Bowl contention. Even if Kamara bounces back, he still turns 30, and there are major limits to have far he can bounce back with an oline that, even if improved and serviceable, is very very unlikely to be elite.

Essentially the only way Kamara can outplay his $12 million salary is if he is the best or tied for best RB in the league in 2024. That is very unlikely. If that happens, he is under contract for $25 million in 2025 and the Saints could hold onto him until post-june-1 working on extension.

We lose nothing by taking a wait and see approach to Kamara during 2024. If he was truly loyal he would not mind playing on a year to year basis as a 29yo RB who has seen many of his contemporaries doing the same. If he was truly loyal he would not be demanding a contract that pays more than his recent performance justifies and demanding the team pay for hopes and what ifs. He is a businessman. We need to be businessmen too.

A hot mess, with Raider-Curbside-Clean-Up looking promising in mini-skirt… I mean mini-camp…

oh there WILL be pain Who Dats…

Don’t be mad at me… Shoot your arrows at Divine Lady B.