Saints running back Alvin Kamara didn’t get the new contract he was looking for this offseason and said last week that it is “too late” to have those conversations.
On Sunday, Kamara showed that the contract issues aren’t impacting him on the field. Kamara ran 15 times for 83 yards and a touchdown in the Saints’ 47-10 rout of the Panthers and told reporters after the game that he’s only focused on what happens between the lines.
“I’m not worried about it. I’m here to play. I’m going to play. I’m going to perform. I don’t got no illness. I don’t got no mystery injury. I’m here. You know what I’m saying? I’m going to play, I’m going to perform, I’m going to be here with my teammates, coaches,” Kamara said, via Katherine Terrell of ESPN.com. “Outside of all that, I think the most important thing, I mean, I love this city right? I love the fans. I love these people. They support me. They’ve been supporting me for years now, right? For me, in my head, it would be kind of selfish to not go out there. I mean, I interact with so many people every day. These people love me like I’m family. I feel the same way and vice versa. I would be doing myself a disservice if I didn’t come out here and try to put on for those people that have been supporting me.”
Kamara’s approach is a different one than other players have taken during their own contract pushes and the Saints benefitted from it on Sunday. If that continues, Kamara will have a good chance of getting what he’s looking for at some point down the road.
