The New Orleans Saints are in the midst of transitioning into the future.
That began last season, when the team was in a rebuilding year that culminated with Tyler Shough giving hope for the future.
This year, the next step could be saying goodbye to a pair of franchise greats, Alvin Kamara and Cameron Jordan.
Jordan became a free agent this offseason and remains unsigned. Meanwhile, Kamara is under contract but there has been trade speculation surrounding him.
When asked about the futures of Kamara and Jordan, general manager Mickey Loomis made no guarantees that either one would be back.
He also noted that the 2026 NFL Draft, which starts on Thursday, could decide their fates.
“Loomis said what they do in the draft could impact what they do with Alvin Kamara and Cam Jordan. Also said what they do could impact what AK and Cam want to do with the Saints,” Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football said.
The writing has been on the wall that both might not be back.
With Kamara, the Saints signed Travis Etienne to a four-year, $48 million contract in free agency, which led many to believe Kamara may now be expendable.
Meanwhile, Jordan has made it quite clear he isn’t a lock to be back.
“You gotta be able to take your emotions out of it. Of course, I’d love to be in New Orleans, but at the same time, if the cents doesn’t make sense, then we have to find our own path,” Jordan said.
Kamara was once viewed as one of the best running backs in the NFL. Not only was he a good runner, he was also an exceptional pass-catcher.
That said, Kamara is now set to turn 31 years old and he’s coming off a season in which he posted career-low production and missed six games due to injury.
It is worth noting, though, that Kamara was playing for a putrid offense that didn’t get going with Shough until late in the season, when Kamara was hurt.
If he does hit the trade block, we could see the Seattle Seahawks having interest, as well as the Denver Broncos.
Seattle doesn’t have a sure starter at running back, and Kamara has a connection to Broncos head coach Sean Payton, who coached him in New Orleans.
Both teams would offer Kamara a chance to win a Super Bowl at this late stage in his career.
It looked like Jordan was on his way to retirement after posting just six sacks between 2023 and 2024.
However, the eight-time Pro Bowler bounced back in a big way in 2025, posting 10.5 sacks while playing in all 17 games for a third-straight season.
It is at least somewhat surprising to see him still available at this point.