Among the factors that led Cameron Jordan and Alvin Kamara to position themselves to finish their NFL careers with the New Orleans Saints, loyalty may be the chart topper.
Jordan, the franchise all-time leader in sacks (132), and Kamara, its all-time leader in rushing yards (7,250), yards from scrimmage (12,198), rushing touchdowns (61) and touchdowns (86), will enter their 16th and 10th seasons, respectively, of uninterrupted service with the Saints. Which is just the way they like it.
"At this point, I'm Black and Gold through and through and I'm able to say for my entire career, I played for one team," said Jordan, the first of New Orleans' two first-round draft picks in 2011. He was an unrestricted free agent this offseason for the first time, and signed a one-year deal to return.
"Just knowing that I'm valued on this team, I can bring value to this team and I think this team has their eyes on the prize," Jordan said. "I talked to these guys in the offseason like I was still part of the team, still in all the group chats. But when I think about what this team can do — we were on the cusp of realizing our potential last year – and that's all you can hope for, is knowing that you have major potential that you have to achieve."
Kamara, too, noted the potential of this year's team. New Orleans finished 6-11 last year but won four straight games before dropping the season finale. He restructured his contract after a period of uncertainty this offseason; the Saints also signed running back Travis Etienne, an unrestricted free agent with three 1,000-yard rushing season in his first four years.
"I think we've got a lot of good going on in the building," Kamara said Wednesday, when he and Jordan addressed the media after the Saints' first training camp practice. "It's a lot of good energy. A lot of talent. Obviously, last year wasn't what we wanted at all, in any aspect. So I think just kind of wiping the slate clean, getting some fresh energy in here, just refocusing and kind of balancing out and moving forward. It's a good vibe going.
"We've got a lot of work to do, it's Day 1. Nothing happens in a day, in a week. We've got a couple of weeks to string together to get to the first game. The group is ready to work; that's really what matters. We got to go to work. We got to strap our boots up and go to work."
Family played a significant role for each in the decision to continue as a Saint. Jordan's father, Steve, was an NFL tight end for 13 seasons, all with the Vikings.
"I think after 13 years with the Vikings, he went to go visit the Chiefs or something along the lines of that, and it didn't work out," Jordan said. "And he was like, 'Yeah, I'm cool with retiring.' Loyalty runs deep, clearly, as you see with pops playing all 13 (seasons), six Pro Bowls with the Vikings, being in the Ring of Honor. There's a standard for Jordan men."
Kamara said his upbringing also emphasized loyalty.
"I said it my whole career, it's kind of like, I got a different type of loyalty," he said. "That's just how I was raised, how I'm wired. To stay in New Orleans meant a lot, and we're here, another year.
"My mom, my uncles, my friends, family, that's kind of like how we operate. That's kind of like what's instilled in me. I take that with me wherever I go, in everything I do. So, it's nothing new."
A business decision
All-Pro receiver Chris Olave, who is in contract negotiations with the Saints, was present Wednesday but only participated in individual drills. The fifth-year receiver registered career highs in receptions (100), receiving yards (1,163) and receiving touchdowns (nine) last season, and topped 1,000 receiving yards in three of his first four years.
"I think it's just respecting the business side of this thing, I think they're just working through that as we go," Saints coach Kellen Moore said. "Everyone has been great about this whole process. No issues there. He did a little bit of individual, keep himself ramping up. We'll just communicate, one day at a time. I think everyone is on the same page."
