One of the great things we love in pop culture is a long-awaited reunion.
The band gets back together (see: The Eagles).
The great director and actor who was once their muse make 1 more film together (see: Robert DeNiro and Martin Scorsese).
The sports version of this? The legendary head coach and his former star get 1 more shot together (see: Kobe Bryant and Phil Jackson).
In that vein, how about the Denver Broncos give Sean Payton and running back Alvin Kamara a shot at running it back?
That’s what Bleacher Report’s Moe Moton thinks might happen, predicting a “Surprise Trade” between the Broncos and the Saints to bring Kamara to Denver — despite the Broncos investing heavily at the position already with a 2-year, $15 million contract for J.K. Dobbins and spending a 2025 2nd round pick on running back RJ Harvey.
“No NFL head coach knows Kamara more than Denver Broncos lead skipper Sean Payton,” Moton wrote on Saturday. “They worked together for five years in New Orleans. Perhaps the two would be open to a reunion in the Mile High City. The Broncos selected RJ Harvey in the second round of the 2025 draft. They re-signed J.K. Dobbins on a two-year, $20 million pact after he led them in rushing last season. This would be a surprising move because Kamara would join a crowded backfield in Denver, and his skill set overlaps with Harvey’s, but he may trust that Payton will find ways to get him the ball.”
Should Alvin Kamara Still Be Considered Elite RB?
When healthy, Kamara can still be a game-changer.
That’s something the Broncos have sorely been missing throughout Payton’s first 3 seasons, save for the 10 games Dobbins played in 2025, when he was on pace to become Denver’s first 1,000-yard rusher since 2019.
Even with his 2025 season factored into the mix — where he had career lows almost across the board — Kamara still has 17-game averages of 1,646 yards of total offense and 12 total touchdowns over his 9-year career.
Bringing Kamara in for the final year of his contract to play for the coach with whom he had the most success seems like a risk the Broncos should be willing to take.
In 5 seasons playing for Payton, Kamara was a 2-time NFL All-Pro, 5-time Pro Bowler, and earned NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year honors in 2017.
Broncos Called Out for Free Agency Approach
Whether it’s a trade for Kamara or anyone else at this point, most Broncos fans would just welcome some sort of effort to improve the roster.
Finally unencumbered by the $85 million dead cap hit spread out over the 2024 and 2025 seasons due to the disastrous Russell Wilson contract and with the richest owners in the NFL ready and waiting with their checkbooks, this was supposed to be the year the Broncos went out and got the 1-2 players who might make the difference to winning a Super Bowl.
Then, in less than 1 week since the NFL free agency period opened on Monday, all of those hopes and dreams seem to have gone out the window. As of Sunday morning, the Broncos were the only 1 out of the 32 NFL teams yet to sign an outside free agent.
Broncos Predicted to Make ‘Surprise Trade’ for All-Pro RB