Alvin Kamara Expected To Practice Amid Contract Dispute, Or Is This A Marshawn Lynch Move?

Maybe, it's the weather.

The New Orleans Saints will open training camp at 12:30 p.m. eastern time amid pleasant, 70-degree temperatures in Irvine, California. It was closer to 80 and will reach the 90s in Metairie, Louisiana, where the Saints have held camp for the last several years. And for a bit of fresh air, star running back Alvin Kamara is expected to practice, despite a contract dispute.

Or maybe he'll be there because of the fresh, new offense under rising, 37-year-old Klint Kubiak - the Saints' first new offensive coordinator after 15 years of Pete Carmichael, whose attack lacked zest the last two years. Carmichael is now an assistant at Denver under former Saints head coach Sean Payton, who stole Kamara out of Tennessee in the third round in 2017. Kamara became the NFL offensive rookie of the year and was the league's best, or close to it, rushing and receiving threat through five Pro Bowls through 2021. In recent years, he has dipped, though, and on Thursday he will turn 29 - almost ancient for an NFL back.

RELATED: Alvin Kamara Walks Out Of Mini-Camp

He is scheduled to make $18.5 million this season with that going up in 2025 to $24 million, which the Saints are not likely to pay considering his diminishing play or continued expected diminishing play. Kamara wants a new contract and raise before the start of the 2024 season, which is why he walked out of the team's mini-camp on the last day of it last month in subtle protest.

Saints' running back Alvin Kamara celebrates a touchdown catch last season at Indianapolis with quarterback Derek Carr. (Getty Images)

But he showed up at Saints' training camp Tuesday and was expected to practice today.

"Look, he's here," Saints general manager Mickey Loomis said. "I haven't had a conversation with him, but he's here. I appreciate that he is here. We have to understand that 50 percent of our organization - players, coaches, administrators, scouts - feel like they're underpaid, right? That's a personal issue. He's in great shape, like he always is, and looking for a good season. And I think more important for him, he wants to win."

The Saints have not reached the playoffs since the end of a four-year run in the postseason from 2017-20 that coincided with Kamara's stardom. Defensive coordinator Dennis Allen replaced Payton after the 2021 season when he "retired" following a 9-8 campaign. Allen has gone 7-10 and 9-8.

Asked if he has spoken to Kamara's representation about a new contract, Loomis said only, "I'd rather not get into that, so."

Kamara may or may not participate in all of practice today and through the first few days leading up to contact in pads. He may just be in the fold to avoid a $50,000-a-day fine for not making it.

"I'm just here so I won't get fined," he posted on Instagram Tuesday with a picture of himself with former Seattle running back Marshawn Lynch, who infamously said that when he attended Super Bowl XLIX Media Day with Seattle in 2015.

Saints' Alvin Kamara practices during Saints' training camp in Metairie, Louisiana, before the 2019 season. (Getty Images)

Allen is just happy the multi-talented back is in camp to get more acquainted with Kubiak.

"I expect Alvin to be out there," he said Tuesday. "He was out here today. He ran the conditioning test. Every indication that we’ve gotten is that he’s going to be out here practicing tomorrow (Wednesday), and so that’s what we expect. We’re looking forward to working with him. Having him out here and having him practice and having him work, I think that’s beneficial for all of us. Obviously, with the new system and the new offense, I think that’s important. And yet I think we all understand there’s a business aspect to the game of football."

But will he really be practicing all out? Often NFL players in contract disputes show for camp, but don't practice or just go through the motions.

"That's nothing that's been discussed," Allen said. "As we sit here right now, he’s fully healthy. And so, our anticipation is he’ll practice. I’m not going to get into any hypotheticals after that."

Allen liked what he saw of Kamara in Kubiak's offense through the first few days of mini-camp.

"There were a few plays in there where you really saw how this offense, this scheme can benefit him," he said. "And in turn benefit us. So, yeah, I'm excited to see what that looks like. You do the same thing for 17 straight years, or whatever it had been, I think sometimes you just need a change."

That's what Kamara may be thinking.