Jeff Duncan Defends Alvin Kamara Amid Saints Criticism
Jeff Duncan says the Saints are doing right by alvin kamara, pushing back on the idea that New Orleans is mistreating one of its most accomplished players. That dispute landed this week after Tyrann Mathieu accused team officials of not dealing with Kamara in good faith.
Mathieu said the Saints lacked “the courage to cut the star running back,” then added, “This is not the way you treat your franchise all-time touchdown leader.” Duncan’s response was direct: he does not see how anyone can say the Saints are mistreating Kamara, and he wrote that the club is going out of its way to treat him with respect.
Kamara’s Saints Role
Kamara is entering his 10th season and will turn 31 in July. The argument around him is not about his place in franchise history; it is about how the Saints are handling a veteran back whose production has dipped as his career moves into a harder phase.
He posted career lows in rushing yards, yards per carry, receptions, receiving yards and touchdowns in 2024. Those numbers were 471 rushing yards, 3.6 yards per carry, 33 receptions, 186 receiving yards and one touchdown.
Mathieu’s Criticism
Mathieu’s complaint centered on treatment, not numbers. He took aim at Saints officials on his podcast this week and said the club was not dealing with Kamara in good faith. His point was that a player with Kamara’s track record should not be pushed aside carelessly.
That message collided with the facts of Kamara’s recent performance. His rushing success rate of 32.06% ranked 63rd out of 65 backs with 50 or more attempts last season, he averaged 18.7 attempts per broken tackle against a 16.4 league average, and he ranked last among 49 backs with 1.4 yards after contact per rush. He also ranked 53rd of 58 backs in elusiveness.
Saints Handling Kamara
The Saints did not hide from the decline, but Duncan argued they have still handled Kamara with care. The club is loyal to him, and that loyalty shows in how it has kept him involved even as the workload has shifted around him.
New Orleans replaced Kamara with rookie Devin Neal in key passing situations last season because his pass protection was poor. He allowed six sacks in 48 pass-blocking reps and ranked 59th out of 60 backs in pass protection, while Audric Estimé’s 32-yard run in 46 attempts after joining the Saints in Week 10 gave the team another option in the backfield.
Kamara has also managed only one run of more than 20 yards in the last three seasons, a sign of how much the Saints have had to weigh production against role. The veteran still sits among the top 10 highest-paid backs, so the debate around him is now about whether New Orleans should keep leaning on reputation, production, or both as his 10th season unfolds.
