The Kansas City Chiefs may add some help for their backfield at the upcoming trade deadline, but won’t be adding a 7,000-yard back who was seen as a top target.
The Chiefs have an uneven running game through the first five games of the season, struggling to get contributions from their running backs and leaning on quarterback Patrick Mahomes to move the ball on the ground. Many pundits pegged New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara as a potential solution, but a new report claims that he will be staying put at the NFL trade deadline.
Chiefs Will Need to Find Another Trade Target
NFL.com insider Ian Rapoport reported on Saturday that Kamara remains committed to the Saints and told the team he doesn’t want to move.
“Sources say Kamara told Saints general manager Mickey Loomis that he’d like to remain with the franchise through the rest of his career, which was the goal when he signed a two-year, $24.5 million extension last October,” Rapoport reported. “Kamara is signed through 2026 and will have a decision to make prior to next season about if he wants to continue playing.”
Rapoport noted that Loomis had approached Kamara when the Saints started getting calls about his availability, but the running back remained firm.
“Loomis wanted to treat one of the faces of the franchise the right way,” Rapoport reported. “Loomis informed the homegrown player of interest elsewhere and wanted to be transparent. The question was simply: Would you want to go? Kamara expressed his preference to stay in New Orleans, the team that selected him in the third round of the 2017 NFL Draft.”
Kamara was seen as one of the best running backs available at the trade deadline, a 7,000-yard career rusher who excelled in both the rushing and passing games. SI.comâs Matt Verderame suggested the Chiefs might be able to land Kamara for a fifth-round pick, but instead the team will likely turn to other options.
Chiefs Could Seek Another Running Back
The Chiefs are still expected to be active on the trade market, seeking help for their backfield. Another report from Rapoport and fellow NFL.com reporter Mike Garofolo noted that the Chiefs and rival Los Angeles Chargers were both looking around for running back help.
It’s not clear where the Chiefs will turn next, with the report noting that both of their likely targets — Kamara and New York Jets running back Breece Hall — have both expressed a desire to stay with their respective teams.
ESPNâs Dan Graziano had previously suggested that the Chiefs could find help from the Jacksonville Jaguars and running back Travis Etienne Jr.
“The Jaguars drafted Bhayshul Tuten in the fourth round of this yearâs draft and then took passing-down back LeQuint Allen Jr. in the seventh,â Graziano noted. “Those two probably form the future of the teamâs backfield; Jacksonville already traded Tank Bigsby to the Eagles. If the Jaguars fall out of contention and want to get a longer look at their rookies, Etienne and his $6.143 million salary would probably be pretty easy to move.”
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