Alvin Kamara is doing his part to earn a new contract with the Saints

Alvin Kamara is doing his part to land a new contract with the New Orleans Saints by playing at a high level – despite being injured with a few broken ribs. But will his efforts be rewarded with a new deal?

They should be, but it's hard to say if this story ends that way. Kamara did everything right in this process. He didn't last in training camp or demand a trade from a team willing to pay him what he wanted. He worked hard and was a good mentor to his younger teammates. He negotiated in good faith and made it clear what he wanted and why he wanted it. And his statistics speak for themselves. After four weeks, Kamara leads the league in yards from scrimmage (536) and is tied for the most touchdowns scored (6).

It's just too early to tell if he'll get what he's looking for. Kamara didn't want these contract negotiations to become a distraction during the season, so he decided to postpone them until the spring. And things could look completely different at that point. No running back has attempted to take touches from him in the first four games. He looked just as dynamic in Klint Kubiak's offense as everyone had hoped. There's a very high chance that Kamara will own the team's rushing yards title when he gets back to the negotiating table.

And that could make it more difficult for the Saints to make a fair contract offer. If Mickey Loomis is determined to stick with what he's already offered, even after a successful season for Kamara, he could make the decision to cut Kamara and go with a younger running back (like Heisman Trophy candidate Ashton Jeanty). Boise State). But you hope it doesn't come to that.

Hope is really what it's all about. Kamara hopes his efforts lead to a new contract and keep him in New Orleans until he's done playing football. Loomis and the Saints are hoping an extension doesn't wipe out their already strained salary cap. Kamara's strong September has given Saints fans a lot of hope that he can keep up. We just have to wait and see whether this hope was justified.