The problem is that he already has a contract and that is better than he would get on the open market / pays more than his market value and he wants a raise and new guarantees far above his market value. This is false loyalty. This is like if you are struggling to pay bills and your wife says she wants to be with you forever and all its going to take is a 10 carat diamond and a new Ferrari. I am fine with Kamara retiring a Saint but he is not on a paupers rookie contract he is on a bloated deal signed during his prime and his performance does not merit a raise or additional guarantees, if anything it merits him take a pay cut to about $8 million a year to help the team win and be honest about his age and declining skills.

The problem is that he already has a contract and that is better than he would get on the open market / pays more than his market value and he wants a raise and new guarantees far above his market value. This is false loyalty. This is like if you are struggling to pay bills and your wife says she wants to be with you forever and all its going to take is a 10 carat diamond and a new Ferrari. I am fine with Kamara retiring a Saint but he is not on a paupers rookie contract he is on a bloated deal signed during his prime and his performance does not merit a raise or additional guarantees, if anything it merits him take a pay cut to about $8 million a year to help the team win and be honest about his age and declining skills.

You are so full of crap ... as usual. He didn't say any of those things. You just make crap up.

If you were overpaid by an comparison to your peers, lets say you were a teacher who made six figures, and your employer was in a budget crisis facing annual restructures to pay the bills, lets say they were having to shut down the art and music programs, and your performance was down lets say the previous year you had been suspended for slapping a student and your classes test scores were down 30% over the last two years, would you skip work and demand a new salary adjustment and to be 'paid.'

Kamara is saying lots. By holding out to any degree he is saying his salary is not good enough. By saying he wants to be 'paid' he is saying his current salary is not enough. When anyone says he just wants 'guarantees' the reality is that his salary this season is $12 million, which is well above market, and that becomes guaranteed as a veteran if he is on the roster week one. He probably would be lucky to get $12 million in total guarantees over multiple years on the open market. And he only needs to worry about not getting that $12 million if he gets beat out by Miller or Williams in training camp and does not make the team at all. If his worry is about 2025 not having guarantees, why should we guarantee money in 2025 to an aging RB who is worried about making the team in 2024?

The fact is it says a let that a guy who is generously overpaid and hasnt been cut is clearly implying he wants more money. A reasonable contract for Kamara would be something like 2 years $19 million with $12 million guaranteed (about $1 million less than Mixon) or 3 years $24 million with $15 million guaranteed and a salary of $9 million with little or no guarantee in year 3. But considering Kamara's insane contract today with $12 million in 2024 and $25 million in 2025 that would be a big pay cut. I know that nobody is going to pay Kamara $25 million for a year and that is not real, but for appearance purposes when a player wipes out that year they usually like to make it look like a raise by getting more money in the long run win guarantees. The thing is, Kamara's estimated value from overthecap in 2023 was under $6 million. Kamara's entire career from 2025 until retirement is likely not worth close to $25 million even if he plays until 2028 or something. There is no way to cut that $25 million to a realistic value of $7-9 million where he can save face. He is an aging RB who had declined and will likely decline more.

If you actually took the time to read what he said you wouldn't look so foolish. He said nothing about his salary. He actually said he's fine playing out his current deal. He just wants to retire as a Saint and he wants to continue playing past his current contract which effectively ends after 2025. He specifically says he feels he could play another "four or five years". He wants that to be with the Saints. If not he said he'll retire and just move to Africa. Yes he wants more money. Not more than he is already slated to make under his current contract, but whatever he would get for his additional years.

Saying "I want to get paid" and holding out is saying something about his current deal.

Of course Kamara would like to play out his current deal. His current deal pays $25 million in 2025. On the open market he might get something like $8 million. So yes, he would play for 3x what any other team would pay him.

And given that $25 million is so ridiculous, and no team would pay him close to that, of course he would be 'generously' willing to reduce that a little in return for more years. Such as $15 million in 2025, 2026, and 2027 or something so he can 'retire a Saint.'

The thing is that Kamara is 29. He is already under contract for a generous $12 million in 2024. He has shown significant signs of decline. If he wants to take less money in 2025 to avoid being cut thats fine, but if he wants guaranteed in 2026 and beyond thats just not realistic. No NFL team is going to guarantee money 2 years out to a RB who will be 31 and is already declining, with no idea whether he will be a viable starter or some sort of late career Kevin Faulk 3rd down role player or simply not needed if he is passed on the depth chart and his replacement turns out to also be a good pass catcher or he is injured.

Kamara is not underpaid. The Saints can cut him at any time if he declines. He is not being wronged and the Saints have nothing to gain in return by giving him more guarantees, unless in return he will play for a salary that is actually a decent deal, say $7 million per year. It would be massively irresponsible to give Kamara big money like $10 million in 2026 or even to partially guarantee anything in 2026 where he walks away with $5 million if cut in the likely scenario where he is not worth that money then. Giving a 29 year old RB an guarantees for years when he will be 31 or 32 or 33 when he is already declining would be financially irresponsible charity.

If Kamara really wants to be with the Saints in 2026, 2027, 2028 there is nothing that prevents him signing year to year deals that are common for 30 something RBs. If he wants guarantees in those years, the most that would be financially responsible would be to give him $5 million player options, kind of Kevin Faulk money, for those years, that he can opt out of if still a starter, in return for reducing his 2025 salary to $10 million or less with at most half guaranteed.

"wanting to get paid" I believe was in reference to "not losing money via fines for missing practice" (which happened during his last deal)

You have made a solid case for NOT signing Kamara, but you've neglected to provide ANY for extending him.

There are many.

Talent. He still has the skills to be a focal point and matchup nightmare.
Leadership. Take away one, extremely poor, mistake in Vegas, he's a leader on this team.
Potential. In this same style offense, McCaffery just had his best year and he's (*gasp) 28 years old.


To me, that's worth a 3 year $21 M with a void year and $15 M guaranteed.

Saying "I want to get paid" and holding out is saying something about his current deal.

Of course Kamara would like to play out his current deal. His current deal pays $25 million in 2025. On the open market he might get something like $8 million. So yes, he would play for 3x what any other team would pay him.

And given that $25 million is so ridiculous, and no team would pay him close to that, of course he would be 'generously' willing to reduce that a little in return for more years. Such as $15 million in 2025, 2026, and 2027 or something so he can 'retire a Saint.'

The thing is that Kamara is 29. He is already under contract for a generous $12 million in 2024. He has shown significant signs of decline. If he wants to take less money in 2025 to avoid being cut thats fine, but if he wants guaranteed in 2026 and beyond thats just not realistic. No NFL team is going to guarantee money 2 years out to a RB who will be 31 and is already declining, with no idea whether he will be a viable starter or some sort of late career Kevin Faulk 3rd down role player or simply not needed if he is passed on the depth chart and his replacement turns out to also be a good pass catcher or he is injured.

Kamara is not underpaid. The Saints can cut him at any time if he declines. He is not being wronged and the Saints have nothing to gain in return by giving him more guarantees, unless in return he will play for a salary that is actually a decent deal, say $7 million per year. It would be massively irresponsible to give Kamara big money like $10 million in 2026 or even to partially guarantee anything in 2026 where he walks away with $5 million if cut in the likely scenario where he is not worth that money then. Giving a 29 year old RB an guarantees for years when he will be 31 or 32 or 33 when he is already declining would be financially irresponsible charity.

If Kamara really wants to be with the Saints in 2026, 2027, 2028 there is nothing that prevents him signing year to year deals that are common for 30 something RBs. If he wants guarantees in those years, the most that would be financially responsible would be to give him $5 million player options, kind of Kevin Faulk money, for those years, that he can opt out of if still a starter, in return for reducing his 2025 salary to $10 million or less with at most half guaranteed.