There is a growing notion that the Minnesota Vikings should stand pat at the trade deadline, showing few weaknesses they can properly address in-season. But calls for improvement are far from gone, and some suggestions have been splashier than others.
New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara would certainly qualify as a splashier addition.
A five-time Pro Bowler in his eighth NFL season, Kamara has two years remaining on his five-year, $75 million contract. But the Saints are 2-5 with the deadline two weeks away.
“I always think of the Vikings because the rare season that Minnesota is actually pretty good, how can they get better?” Mike Florio told Rodney Harrison on “Pro Football Talk” on October 18. “They have Aaron Jones. But Aaron Jones [is] already banged up. You need a couple of guys. You need somebody who can step in because you’re putting a lot of eggs in one basket we know how the running back position goes.”
Kamara has 111 carries for 438 yards and 6 touchdowns through seven weeks. The scores are already his most since the 2020 season while he is also tracking for his second-most rushing attempts and yards per game ever.
Kamara also has another 252 yards and 1 touchdown on 34 receptions.
The biggest concern outside of his salary would be injuries. Kamara has missed at least one game due to injury in every season since 2018.
Alvin Kamara Trade Could Make Sense for Saints
GettyAlvin Kamara #41 of the New Orleans Saints.
Kamara has denied rumors that he is seeking a trade from the Saints, instead agreeing that he still wants to finish his career in New Orleans. The Saints drafted Kamara with the No. 67 overall pick in the 2017 draft.
He has a $25 million cap hit in 2025 with no guaranteed money left on his contract after the 2024 season.
The Saints could part ways to save some money if no long-term deal is reached.
Kamara is on the Saints’ books for $29 million in 2025 and $6 million in 2026 because of void years added to his contract. That could incentivize the Saints to work toward extending Kamara rather than seeking a trade before the deadline or cutting him in 2025.
Still, Florio believes it could make sense for the Saints to explore trade options with the 29-year-old tailback.
“The Saints might soon have to think about using current assets to enhance the team’s future.” Florio wrote on October 18. “The biggest name, and the most obvious candidate for a trade, is running back Alvin Kamara. His contract carries a $25 million compensation package for 2025. He’ll be released after the season without a revised deal. If that happens, the Saints will get no compensation.
“Why not trade him instead?”
Alvin Kamara Trade Might Not Make Sense for Vikings
GettyAaron Jones #33 of the Minnesota Vikings.
Florio wrote that the question would be whether or not a team would be willing to part with “a draft pick or two” to pry Kamara loose from the Saints. That already puts the Vikings at a disadvantage with four picks at their disposal – one before the fifth round – in 2025.
The Vikings also already made a trade, sending a conditional sixth-round pick in 2026 to the Houston Texans for Cam Akers and a conditional seventh-round pick in the same year.
Jones also practiced throughout the week in light of his hamstring injury.
The Vikings have Ty Chandler and former Miami Dolphins runner Myles Gaskin on the roster. They can stand in if the Vikings feel Jones needs another week to heal. Kamara would form a potent 1-2 combo with the Vikings starter.
However, a trade for Kamara or on that side of the ball may still be an outlier among the potential outcomes for the Vikings with the deadline two weeks away.
