Blockbuster Saints Trade Speculation Heating Up After Week 5 Win
The New Orleans Saints have gotten off to quite a bad start this season, but they recently secured their first win of the season. New Orleans took home a 26-14 victory over the New York Giants.
But the Saints are still very likely going to sell and trade some stars this year. They're rebuilding right now and opting to sell at the trade deadline would help push this along. Last year, they made a handful of rebuilding moves at the trade deadline, but they could be even more aggressive this season, as players like Alvin Kamara and Chris Olave gain steam as trade candidates.
FanSided's Chris Landers recently suggested the Saints would trade Kamara following their Week 5 win over the Giants.
Kendre Miller looks to be Alvin Kamara's successor in New Orleans
"Kamara's workload has steadily decreased in recent weeks, as New Orleans shares the rushing load with TCU product Kendre Miller," Landers wrote. "Yes, the Saints just signed him to a new deal last year, and yes, this team has been loath to actually admit that it needs to rebuild, but that sure feels like some sort of writing on the wall.
"Kamara has one year remaining on his contract after this one at over $18 million. He's still a useful player at age 30, but he's not the superstar he once was, and there's virtually no chance he'll be part of the next competitive Saints team. New Orleans should do whatever it can to get some value in return now while he still has more team control (and is one year younger), although given Mickey Loomis' track record, who knows."
Kamara makes sense as a trade chip for the Saints, but Kendre Miller's emergence as the backup running back only adds fuel to the trade speculation fire. In Week 5, Miller had two more carries than Kamara, along with 14 more rushing yards. This comes a week after Miller's big day against the Buffalo Bills.
At the end of the day, trading Kamara makes a lot of sense for a few reasons. The Saints already have his successor and it's unlikely Kamara will still be a solid option by the time New Orleans is competing again. A trade seems inevitable.
Colts Lose Spencer Shrader to Season-Ending Injury
Indianapolis Colts starting kicker Spencer Shrader will be out for the remainder of the 2025 season after suffering a leg injury while kicking an extra point in Sunday's win against the Las Vegas Raiders, per Pat McAfee.
McAfee, the former Colts punter, reported on his show that Shrader suffered multiple torn ligaments in his leg.
Raiders safety Tristin McCollum was attempting to block Shrader's extra point attempt early in the second quarter, but he was late. McCollum's body went straight into Shrader's leg, causing the kicker to leave the game immediately.
Shrader was off to a fantastic start this season, making 13 of 14 field goal attempts (92.9%). Shrader went a perfect 14-for-14 on extra point attempts. His lone field goal miss was against the Tennessee Titans in Week 3, when he missed a 51-yarder wide right.
Shrader's 13 field goals made are the most in the league through five weeks this season, despite him not kicking a single one against the Raiders in Week 5.
His career-defining highlight came against the Denver Broncos in Week 2, when he drilled a 45-yard field goal to give the Colts the lead as time expired. Shrader had originally missed a 60-yard game-winning attempt, but a leverage penalty called on the Broncos meant that Shrader got a redo from 15 yards closer.
Shrader's elite accuracy will be difficult to replace. When the Colts cut Matt Gay in April, Shrader was considered to be a long-term replacement. Shrader's miss against the Titans is the only miss in his career.
Shrader won the AFC Special Teams Player of the Month award in September for his game-defining kicks.
With zero kickers on the practice squad, the Colts will have to bring in a free agent to fill Shrader's shoes for the final 12 games of the season.
Multiple former Colts kickers on the market, including Rodrigo Blankenship and Michael Badgley.
Blankenship spent just over two seasons with the Colts, drilling 45 of his 54 field goal attempts. Although he was elite from short distances, Blankenship struggled from beyond 50 yards. With the Colts, he made only one 50+ yard field goal.
Badgley filled in for the injured Blankenship in 2021 and kicked in 12 games for the Colts. He made 18 of his 21 field goal attempts, but made zero from 50 and beyond.
Other potential options include Justin Tucker, the former Baltimore Ravens kicker who found himself in legal trouble, and Dustin Hopkins.
Tucker was considered one of the league's best for many years, but he had a disappointing 2024 campaign. He made 22 of 30 attempts, which played a factor in the Ravens releasing him this summer.
Hopkins had a career-worst year in 2024 as well, making only 66% of his field goals with the Cleveland Browns. The year prior, however, was one of his best. Hopkins drilled eight field goals from 50+ yards in 2023, helping the Browns secure a few wins.
The Colts will need a replacement kicker ahead of their Week 6 matchup against the Arizona Cardinals this weekend.
