New Orleans Saints legend Tyrann Mathieu has hit back at critics for his comments about star running back Alvin Kamara and his poor treatment by the franchise. Mathieu, on his In The Bayou podcast, called out the Saints for not “dealing in good faith” regarding the Kamara situation and faced criticism for his comments. Fed up with this response, the now-retired safety expressed he is “done” with any further discussion on the topic.
“Imagine hearing this and then cutting the video up to make it seem like I am a hater or messy… never really been me. & further more, I am from New Orleans, so I know how to deal with New Orleans people,” Mathieu responded while sharing a clip from his podcast where he speaks in support of Alvin Kamara. “Some of you motherf*****s only respect you when you get ignorant. You have to use your entire brain, not just the side that only engages in mess, drama, & bottom feeder shit. Push positivity, push Peace, push better living and thinking. I am done with this topic.”
Imagine hearing this and then cutting the video up to make it seem like I am a hater or messy….. never really been me. & further more I am from New Orleans so I know how to deal with New Orleans people. Some of you motherfuckers only respect you when you get ignorant. You have… https://t.co/acEsGZ4IqE
— Tyrann Mathieu (@Mathieu_Era) May 6, 2026
In the video shared by Tyrann Mathieu, he addresses how the Saints front poorly treated their all-time leader in rushing yards (7,250), rushing touchdowns (61), total touchdowns (87), and scrimmage yards (12,198) when they brought in former Jacksonville Jaguars running back Travis Etienne. Mathieu also suggested that the franchise’s grudge towards Kamara also stems from his role in firing former head coach Dennis Allen in the 2024 season.
“They are mad at Kamara because of the way he sort of spearheaded getting (former coach) Dennis Allen fired. So you got somebody fired, but you didn’t produce, neither,” Mathieu said, citing his source on the team.
The 2024 season also saw the Saints extend Alvin Kamara with a two-year, $24.5 million deal. While the star running back surpassed 1,000 scrimmage yards for the eighth consecutive year, he failed to perform in the 2025 season. Last year, the 31-year-old had his worst season in the NFL, rushing for 471 yards and one touchdown and adding 186 yards receiving before being shut down with a knee injury that cost him the last six weeks.
After the poor 2025 season, the first signs of friction between Kamara and the Saints surfaced as they restructured his deal by converting his $10.155 million base salary for 2026 into a signing bonus, allowing them to spread the cap hit over five years on March 8. Then, on March 9, the NOLA front office brought Etienne on a four-year deal worth $12 million per season.
Hence, when questions were raised about Kamara’s future, GM Mickey Loomis had a vague response, prompting Tyrann Mathieu to address the issues between the Saints and Kamara. While uncertainty still looms over the star running back’s future in New Orleans, the five-time Pro Bowler has maintained a positive outlook toward what’s next for him with the franchise.
Kamara issues a positive comment about his future with the Saints
In the wake of Tyrann Mathieu’s criticisms towards the Saints organization, Alvin Kamara had a positive reaction when asked about his future in New Orleans. The 31-year-old spoke about the prospect of playing with Travis Etienne during a podcast interview with former teammate Terron Armstead, while ending any speculation about any beef between the two.
“I think, you know, I ain’t into social media, and I don’t do too much watching and stuff,” Kamara said. “But I think a lot of people be thinking it’s like beef or something when moves like this happen, and it’s like, ‘man, I couldn’t be happier.’ One, my boy got paid and, two, like it ain’t nothing but some help in the backfield. That’s the name of the game, shoot. Depth — one person can’t do it by themselves, so I’m cool with it, man.”
Although his future with the franchise is uncertain, Alvin Kamara appears to be ready to bounce back in his 10th season in the NFL and work with his new backfield partner, Travis Etienne, in the 2026 season.
