When the New Orleans Saints added former Jacksonville Jaguars running back Travis Etienne, most saw it as a sign that the Alvin Kamara era was over in the Big Easy.
Not so fast. Coach Kellen Moore believes there's plenty of room for both of them in the Saints' offense in 2026.
"We love Alvin. He means the world to all of us," Moore said at the Annual League Meeting in Phoenix, via the Saints' official site. "This is a full offseason process. We feel like he's in that room. You can find roles for all those different guys. We go through the whole offseason process and continue to grow and develop this team.
"He's certainly on the roster and part of that running back room. We feel like there's ways that you can manipulate all those guys and put them in plenty of situations. Look at our season last year, look at probably just about every NFL season -- plenty of running backs play. We feel fortunate that we were able to acquire Travis in free agency, but there's still a lot of work to be had out there."
Kamara is coming off a career-worst season in 2025, a campaign shortened by injury and hindered by a Saints offense that didn't find a rhythm until the final six weeks of the year, a stretch Kamara largely missed. Rumors began to circulate that Kamara might be headed toward retirement in 2026, and when Moore was asked about the five-time Pro Bowler's future in mid-March, he tap-danced around the question.
Monday's response represents a shift in tone toward a more optimistic outlook.
New Orleans could certainly use a stronger situation in the backfield. The Saints finished 28th in rushing yards per game in 2025 and leaned heavily on the passing game. It would behoove them to find a better balance, bringing more sense to the addition of Etienne, and it helps that the two share a similar style of play.
Add in the return of youngsters Devin Neal and Audric Estimé -- with the latter serving as the Saints' rugged power back -- and Moore has plenty of options lining up behind or next to quarterback Tyler Shough.
"They're probably similar players," Moore said of Kamara and Etienne. "I think both of them have the explosive, elusive ability to play in all three phases, which is beneficial. I feel like our running back room is a really healthy room right now -- with just the depth and the experience and all the guys that are in there.
"With the way last season went, a lot of those guys got experience. A lot of those guys played football. So it's going to be a benefit for us that we got a few guys -- three or four guys -- that played meaningful snaps last year that are all coming back. And then, you throw Travis into the mix and it's a great situation for us."
For now, the Saints appear set to establish a tandem backfield between the 30-year-old Kamara (who turns 31 in July) and the younger Etienne, with room for reps for Estimé and Neal. We'll see if that's still the case by the time training camp arrives.
