Saints' Situation With Alvin Kamara Just Got Much More Complicated With Bengals RB Joe Mixon Considering Holdout

As Cincinnati running back Joe Mixon enters the final season of his rookie contract, he's looking for a big pay day along with the rest of the star-studded half back class of 2017. The Bengals, who reportedly are interested in extending Mixon, are preparing for the worst.

According to Paul Dehner Jr. of The Athletic, the Bengals are preparing for Mixon to hold out if the two sides can't agree to a deal.

If Mixon sets this precedent of holding out, New Orleans can't feel too good in their situation with Alvin Kamara.

Even though the two running backs run in completely different styles -- Mixon is more of a bruiser, while Kamara dominates in the open space -- the two have similar numbers. While Mixon has two 1,000-yard rushing seasons to his name, totaling 2,931 yards on the ground to go along with 108 receptions for 870 yards and 21 total touchdowns, Kamara has impressive career numbers as well. He's amassed 2,408 rushing yards, 243 receptions, 2,068 receiving yards and 37 total touchdowns.

Given Christian McCaffrey's contract extension that pretty much screwed up the entire market for running backs, guys like Mixon and Kamara will be looking to secure their bag and make sure they're taken care of.

Even though Kamara is coming off the worst season of his career, a possible holdout is in the cards, especially given Mixon's reported intentions. This move could destroy any possible leverage the Saints had in talks with Kamara, and might be a game-changer in regards to keeping the running back in the Big Easy.