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METAIRIE, La. -- The New Orleans Saints and running back Alvin Kamara have agreed to a five-year extension, the team announced Saturday.
The extension is for $75 million in new money -- bringing the total value of Kamara's contract to $77.133 million -- and includes $34.333 million guaranteed.
The average annual value of the extension, $15 million, matches what Ezekiel Elliott signed for with the Dallas Cowboys in 2019 and trails only Christian McCaffrey's $16 million per year with the Carolina Panthers.
Kamara, 25, was the NFL's Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2017 after being drafted in the third round out of Tennessee. He has been one of the league's most dynamic dual threats as a runner and receiver, with a total of 2,408 rushing yards, 2,068 receiving yards and 38 touchdowns. His 4,476 yards from scrimmage are the fifth most in the league since 2017.
He is just one of four players in NFL history to surpass 2,000 yards rushing and receiving in his first three seasons -- joining McCaffrey, Herschel Walker, and Roger Craig.
While Kamara's numbers have been among the best in NFL history to start a career, his yards per touch have gone down in each of the past two seasons -- from second in 2017 (7.7 yards) to 18th last season (5.3 yards).
He had exactly 81 catches in each of his first three seasons, despite missing two games last year and being hampered by knee and ankle injuries over the final half of the season. The 243 receptions through three seasons are second only to McCaffrey's 303 in NFL history.
The extension is for $75 million in new money -- bringing the total value of Kamara's contract to $77.133 million -- and includes $34.333 million guaranteed.
The average annual value of the extension, $15 million, matches what Ezekiel Elliott signed for with the Dallas Cowboys in 2019 and trails only Christian McCaffrey's $16 million per year with the Carolina Panthers.
Kamara, 25, was the NFL's Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2017 after being drafted in the third round out of Tennessee. He has been one of the league's most dynamic dual threats as a runner and receiver, with a total of 2,408 rushing yards, 2,068 receiving yards and 38 touchdowns. His 4,476 yards from scrimmage are the fifth most in the league since 2017.
He is just one of four players in NFL history to surpass 2,000 yards rushing and receiving in his first three seasons -- joining McCaffrey, Herschel Walker, and Roger Craig.
While Kamara's numbers have been among the best in NFL history to start a career, his yards per touch have gone down in each of the past two seasons -- from second in 2017 (7.7 yards) to 18th last season (5.3 yards).
He had exactly 81 catches in each of his first three seasons, despite missing two games last year and being hampered by knee and ankle injuries over the final half of the season. The 243 receptions through three seasons are second only to McCaffrey's 303 in NFL history.