Alvin Kamara arrest puts millions of guaranteed money at stake

New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara was arrested in Las Vegas and booked for battery resulting in substantial bodily harm on Sunday, according to Las Vegas Metropolitan Police.

Kamara was arrested at approximately 5:50 p.m. on Feb. 5, and while he went on to play in the Pro Bowl on Feb. 6, he was later taken into custody without incident on the day of the Pro Bowl.

Kamara was taken to Clark County (Nevada) Detention Center and was booked for a felony. The investigation is ongoing. According to Clark County’s website, Kamara was in custody and was being held on a $5,000 bail as of Sunday. His first scheduled court appearance is on Monday, Feb. 8 at 4:30 p.m. ET.

Kamara’s arrest could hold serious ramifications, both in terms of his NFL future and his contract’s financials.

According to Spotrac, Kamara has four years and $59 million remaining on his contract with the Saints. Of that money, $11.5 million is fully guaranteed in 2022, and another $4 million is set to vest in 2023; however, a suspension from the league for conduct would void those guarantees.

Should Kamara be found guilty and/or receive applicable suspension from the league, the Saints may no longer be responsible for paying the guaranteed money to its two-time All-Pro running back.

More on Kamara, his arrest

According to the press release, around 5:50 p.m. local time on Sunday, a police officer responded to the hospital where a victim reported that they were “battered at a nightclub.” Alvin Kamara then was identified as the suspect and arrested before being transported to Clark County Detention Center.

The report also describes “substantial bodily harm” which resulted from the battery. The investigation is ongoing as police gather more information on the incident.

Kamara was involved in the incident just hours after the 2022 NFL Pro Bowl, where he rushed for four catches for 23 yards.

After a successful college career which started at Alabama and ended at Tennessee, Alvin Kamara became a part of the New Orleans Saints running back room. He split time with others throughout the earliest years of his career but took on an increased role when healthy this season.

During a preseason interview, he reacted to the increased pressure without the same type of support along with Drew Brees’ retirement.

“I don’t look at it as a load,” Kamara said. “I look at it as I’m doing what I’ve got to do to help my team, I’m doing my job. A load sounds like a burden, but for me it’s a blessing. If I go from six carries a game to 12 carries a game, that’s not bad. That’s not a load. They’re showing love.”

Kamara just finished the second year of a five-year, $75 million contract. With a lot of moving parts ongoing as the Saints begin their new era, Kamara just wanted everything to fit correctly. His main goal remained to help out in any ways that he could.

“I look at things like a puzzle, and it’s just got to fit,” he said. “If you put the wrong puzzle piece in the wrong place, it doesn’t work. That’s how I look at everything.

“We’ve got a lot of guys who can contribute. My job as a running back and a leader is to make the quarterbacks’ job as easy as possible. So whatever they need.”

Despite injuries along the way, he managed to make another Pro Bowl appearance this season.