Will the Saints trade Alvin Kamara? Landing spots for RB include 49ers

New Orleans may be called the Big Easy, but saying goodbye to running back Alvin Kamara may be quite difficult.

After the New Orleans Saints agreed to terms on a contract with running back Travis Etienne during NFL free agency, Kamara's spot in the backfield got more tenuous. ESPN's Adam Schefter reported on March 9 that teams around the league are wondering whether the Saints will be willing to trade the veteran running back ahead of his 10th NFL season.

Kamara, 30, has spent his entire nine-year career in New Orleans after the Saints drafted him in the third round of the 2017 NFL Draft. In 2024, he signed a two-year contract extension that keeps him in New Orleans through next season.

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Ahead of last year's trade deadline, Kamara made it clear he does not want to play for any team besides the Saints in his career.

"If I was a GM, I guess I would go to the player and say, 'Hey we're trading you, just so you know.' So if (Saints general manager) Mickey (Loomis) comes down and says that, I'm going to go drink a pina colada somewhere," Kamara said.

That was in October. In March, Etienne will be in the building in New Orleans, and several teams are in need of running back depth after the first wave of free agency. It's likelier a team will call Kamara's bluff on his threat to retire at this point in the year.

If any team tries to acquire the five-time Pro Bowler via trade this offseason, it should be one of these four:

Alvin Kamara landing spotsSan Francisco 49ers

At this stage of Kamara's career, he is more likely to find a role as a solid veteran backup. He is still a talented dual-threat running back who has always parlayed his pass-catching ability into higher production out of the backfield. But Kamara's high volume of touches over the early years of his career has started to catch up with him. He's had some injury trouble recently and hasn't been able to return to the peak production of his first seasons in the league.

Kamara's dual-threat abilities could make him a strong fit in 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan's offense - one that heavily features its running backs. Christian McCaffrey is coming off a rare season of full health in 2025, and adding a player like Kamara to take some of the load off McCaffrey's legs could be beneficial for both players in 2026. It also provides extra injury insurance for the 49ers if one of the veterans does sustain an injury that causes them to miss games.

Jacksonville Jaguars

What better way to replace the running back you lost in free agency than by trading for the veteran he's replacing with his new team?

Jacksonville has something of a vacancy at the running back position after Etienne agreed to terms with New Orleans in the earliest wave of free agency. Second-year running back Bhayshul Tuten showed promise on limited snaps and touches as a rookie, scoring seven touchdowns in 2025, but Etienne was the Jaguars' rushing leader with 1,107 yards on the ground.

Kamara would have a shot at getting a significant share of touches in Duval. He'd likely split carries with Tuten in the rushing offense, but he also brings the complementary upside of being a strong pass-catcher out of the backfield. Jaguars head coach Liam Coen did not utilize running backs in the passing game in 2025 as often as he had with Rachaad White and Bucky Irving in his 2024 season as the Buccaneers' offensive coordinator. Perhaps adding a back with surer hands would allow Coen to reintroduce that dynamic into the evolving Jaguars' offense in 2026.

Carolina Panthers

Rico Dowdle is headed to Pittsburgh after agreeing to terms with the Steelers in free agency, but Chuba Hubbard is still under contract on the four-year extension he signed in 2024.

In losing Dowdle, the Panthers lost their lead rusher from the 2025 season after he put together a second straight 1,000-yard effort. Without Dowdle's competition for touches, Hubbard will have a chance to return to the 1,000-yard production he had in 2023 and 2024. But the Panthers still could use a more complementary back for their presumed starter in 2026 rather than one fighting to take away carries.

Kamara could be that option as a running back set to turn 31 before the 2026 season begins. While Hubbard has had some success catching passes, his career-high of 43 receptions would rank second-fewest in a season for Kamara - 2025's total of 33 receptions was partly a result of missing six games. The more veteran Saints' running back could take a share of early-down carries for Carolina and contribute more consistently on third downs as a pass-catching threat.

The biggest caveat for Carolina as a fit is that the team would likely need to pay a higher price for acquiring Kamara in an intradivisional trade.

Washington Commanders

Seventh-round rookie running back Jacory Croskey-Merritt was something of a pleasant surprise for Washington, breaking out to the tune of 805 rushing yards and eight touchdowns. But he recorded just nine catches in his rookie season, and backfield running mate Chris Rodriguez - a hard-nosed, physical runner - had only three.

With veteran running backs Austin Ekeler and Jeremy McNichols hitting free agency, the Commanders could use a similarly versatile replacement. Kamara is not just a suitable replacement but a significant upgrade if he stays healthy. The Saints running back has just two seasons with fewer than 50 catches, and in both seasons he missed time with injury.

Kamara could step right into a significant role in Washington under new offensive coordinator David Blough. He'd share carries with Croskey-Merritt and add another significant producer in the passing game for quarterback Jayden Daniels.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Alvin Kamara trade destinations: 4 best fits for Saints RB