METAIRIE, La. -- New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara said Wednesday he had no issues with the team despite a lack of clarity about his future.
Kamara, 30, is under contract through the 2026 season but has faced questions all offseason about both his role and his long-term status due to his age, injury history and $11.5 million salary. Those questions increased when the Saints also signed running back Travis Etienne Jr. to a four-year, $47.4 million contract in March.
Kamara said he hasn't taken anything personally.
"It's a business both ways: on the team side and on the player side," he said. "I always try to tell young dudes, anybody, when they ask me about how I navigate some of this stuff, it's like, man, 'You got to treat it like a business, you know what I'm saying?' So you don't get caught off guard. So nothing catching me off guard, man."
Saints general manager Mickey Loomis recently said that Kamara's status was related to his contract.
"We're just trying to see how he's going to fit in our roster, and obviously there's a resource management element to it, and we'll get to that over the next week or two," Loomis said in early May.
Kamara said he has not had a conversation with Loomis and that contract conversations go through his agent. Kamara also said he has not had any personal conversations about a pay cut.
"I haven't had any conversations in regards to that, so I don't know," Kamara said. "I think there's a time and a place for everything. If that conversation comes up, then I'll have an answer for you when it comes up."
Kamara was asked Wednesday if he hoped to have a face-to-face conversation with Loomis or Saints coach Kellen Moore.
"Ask Mickey," Kamara said, before adding, "I talked to Kellen at practice, man. ... On my side, I feel no pressure. There's no beef or no bad blood, I don't think. I'm doing what I do every year: working. And whatever decisions that got to be made, they'll be made."
Kamara's appearance at OTAs was his first since the 2019 offseason, and it appeared to take Moore and Kamara's teammates by surprise.
"I hadn't had any conversations with him as far as him coming, but it's awesome," Moore said. "This portion of the NFL offseason is voluntary. Historically, this has been a little bit of a different path than this, but it's great to see him."
Kamara typically does not show up in the offseason until the Saints' mandatory minicamp despite a clause in his contract that will reduce his base salary by $358,000 if he does not participate in 100% of the voluntary team workouts.
That clause was added in his most recent contract extension, which was finalized midway through the 2024 season. Kamara left the team's mandatory minicamp early that year while searching for a new contract, but it did not happen until later that year.
Kamara said he decided Tuesday night to fly to New Orleans, but he did not say why he chose this week instead of the beginning of OTAs last week.
"I was just coming in, checking in, saying what's up to the team, everybody popping in. It was cool. Good little day," he said.
He also did not confirm whether he would show up to OTAs next week.
"Look, I'm prepared. I'm under contract. I still got my locker," Kamara said. "That's really why I came. My locker's still here. My fingerprint still works on the door. I guess I'm here, right? That's what that means. You know what I'm saying? Yeah, man, I'm good."