With the NFL trade deadline getting closer by the day, all eyes are on teams like the New Orleans Saints to see if they’re willing to sell off their stars to acquire draft picks for a potential rebuild. 

One of those stars is running back Alvin Kamara, but he made it clear what he would do if general manager Mickey Loomis were to trade him. Kamara said he and Loomis are on the same page, but in the unlikely event it does happen, he threatened to retire.

“If I was a GM, I guess I would go to the player and be like, ‘Hey, we’re trading you. Just to let you know.’ If Mickey comes down and says that, then I’ll go drink a piña colada somewhere,” Kamara told reporters recently.

As someone who knows Kamara quite well, Saints legend Drew Brees loved hearing that answer from his old running back. 

“Look, all of this is unfortunate and wouldn’t even be a topic if the Saints weren’t 1-6,” Brees told Fox News Digital, while discussing his flag football organization, Football ‘N’ America, partnering with Unrivaled Sports. “Immediately, when people think the season is ‘lost,’ or a high unlikelihood, all of a sudden you start dealing these pieces to get draft picks to build for the future. That term rebuilding, right? 

ALVIN KAMARA THREATENS RETIREMENT IF SAINTS TRY TO TRADE HIM: ‘I’LL DRINK A PIÑA COLADA SOMEWHERE’

“I know Alvin obviously, but for those who don’t know Alvin, I think you should read into his comments as he loves being a part of the New Orleans Saints, and he loves the city of New Orleans and loves the people. He doesn’t want to go anywhere. So, when the topic is broached with him, ‘Hey, what would you think about…’ He doesn’t want to go anywhere else. ‘This is my team, I want to play here in front of these fans.’ I just think that’s a testament to his loyalty and that’s kind of rare nowadays, to be honest with you. That should be celebrated more than anything.”

Kamara isn’t the only attractive Saints star in the building. Wide receiver Chris Olave is another name swirling in trade speculation, while players like defensive end Cam Jordan and linebacker Demario Davis could be viewed as trade candidates as well. 

Drew Brees of the New Orleans Saints hands the ball off to Alvin Kamara of the New Orleans Saints in the fourth quarter against the Detroit Lions at Ford Field on Oct. 4, 2020, in Detroit, Michigan. (Rey Del Rio/Getty Images)

But Brees doesn’t like the thought of selling just because of what the record says. Having leaders like those in the locker room goes a long way. 

“I think the reaction for everybody, especially when you’re not winning, that something must be really wrong and who do we blame it on?” Brees explained. “Everybody seems to want dysfunction – makes for a better story. I would almost argue there’s a heck of a lot more dysfunction I know on some winning teams right now than there is on teams like the Saints, who are 1-6. 

“I think everybody loves the coach. I think the coach has really endeared himself to a lot of the team. They love playing for him despite the record, and I think we got guys who care about the organization, the city, the community. They love being a part of the team, they love being leaders on the team. They take real pride in it.”

Alvin Kamara and Drew Brees of the New Orleans Saints look on against the Los Angeles Rams during the fourth quarter in the NFC Championship game at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome on Jan. 20, 2019, in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images)

Brees feels his former team is “close,” but they may still need to find their identity. The coach he mentions is new head coach Kellen Moore, who is a first-year head coach that New Orleans really likes. 

No one expected the Saints to turn around quickly this season, but Brees and others feel the pieces are in place, especially those like Kamara who want to remain in place to get the Saints back to their playoff ways. 

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Angels superstar Mike Trout testified Tuesday morning that he knew team employee Eric Kay had a drug problem but that pitcher Tyler Skaggs showed no signs of drug use.

Trout, a three-time American League Most Valuable Player, has played with the Angels his entire 15-year career and is under contract through the 2030 season. He was a teammate of Skaggs from 2014 to 2019, when the left-handed pitcher died in a Texas hotel room July 1, 2019, after snorting a counterfeit oxycodone pill that contained fentanyl, a powerful opioid.

Key, a former Angels communications director, was sentenced to 22 years in federal prison after being convicted in 2022 of providing the pills that led to the Skaggs’ overdose.

According to trial transcripts, Skaggs lawyer Daniel Dutko asked Trout about his reaction when he learned the next day in a team meeting that Skaggs had died.

“Cried,” Trout answered.

“You loved him like a brother,” the lawyer said as Trout nodded affirmatively. Trout added that he was unaware of any drug use by Skaggs.

Skaggs’ lawyer asked questions to elicit testimony from Trout that would humanize Skaggs, to establish that he was a valued teammate and friend. Trout said he and Skaggs were roommates in 2010 when both were 18 years old and playing for the Angels affiliate in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

Trout, the highest-paid Angels employee making more than $37 million a year, attended Skaggs’ wedding in 2018.

Neither Dutko nor Angels attorney Todd Theodora asked Trout why he didn’t inform a team executive or human resources when he suspected Kay’s drug use.

Skaggs was found dead in his hotel room in Southlake, Texas, on July 1, 2019, before the Angels were scheduled to start a series against the Texas Rangers. The Tarrant County medical examiner found that in addition to the opioids, Skaggs had a blood-alcohol level of 0.12. The autopsy determined he died from asphyxia after aspirating on his own vomit, and that his death was accidental.

Trout’s testimony followed that of longtime Angels executives Tim Mead and Tom Taylor. Kay reported to Mead nearly his entire 23-year career and worked closely with Taylor, the team’s traveling secretary. Both men testified that they had no idea Kay was addicted to opioids or that Kay supplied Skaggs with drugs.

Skaggs’ widow, Carli Skaggs, and parents Debra Hetman and Darrell Skaggs are seeking $118 million from the Angels for Skaggs’ lost future earnings as well as compensation for pain and anguish, and punitive damages.

The Angels announcement that longtime former big league catcher Kurt Suzuki was hired as manager coincided with Trout’s testimony.

After seven months away from the Philadelphia Eagles, Brandon Graham has the itch to play again. 

Graham, who spent all 15 years of his NFL career with the Eagles, is tacking another one on as he is finalizing a deal to rejoin his old squad, according to multiple reports. The Eagles are expected to make the move official on Wednesday. 

Graham, a two-time Super Bowl champion in Philadelphia, was the longest-tenured player in Eagles history when he retired following the team’s Super Bowl LIX win over the Kansas City Chiefs. 

But, with the Eagles facing some depth issues on their defensive line, especially with Za’Darius Smith surprisingly announcing his own retirement midway through the year, Philadelphia is calling on an old friend to help them out. 

The Eagles have just 11 sacks through seven games, which is toward the bottom of the league. Graham totaled 76.5 sacks over his career and 487 combined tackles through 206 regular-season games. He tallied 126 tackles for loss and 153 quarterback hits over his record-setting game total. 

SUPER BOWL CHAMPION BRANDON GRAHAM CONSIDERING EAGLES RETURN AFTER RETIRING: REPORTS

Philadelphia Eagles defensive end Brandon Graham (55) after defeating the Kansas City Chiefs during Super Bowl LIX at Caesars Superdome.  (Mark J. Rebilas/Imagn Images)

Graham not only brings the experience, but also the natural leadership experience to a franchise where he is adored. 

While Smith is retired, the Eagles have seen Nolan Smith placed on the injured reserve, while Jalen Carter missed a good amount of time due to injury. Azeez Ojulari is also dealing with a knee injury. 

Graham said that he would answer some questions on his “Brandon Graham Unlocked” podcast, which one would believe includes the thinking behind his decision to return. 

Philadelphia Eagles defensive end Brandon Graham (55) against the Kansas City Chiefs during Super Bowl LIX at Caesars Superdome.  (Mark J. Rebilas/Imagn Images)

While it was a Super Bowl-winning final season for Graham at the time, he tore his triceps which rendered him unable to play until the Super Bowl. He had 20 tackles and 3.5 sacks through 11 regular-season games before his injury last season. 

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