Excited fans cheering at the New Orleans Saints game.
The New Orleans Saints are faced with pressing salary cap challenges, aiming to clear about $43 million by March 12, 2025, due to various roster adjustments. With key players in need of contract extensions and potential retirements, including those of Derek Carr and Jameis Winston, the team’s financial management remains under scrutiny. The Saints may need to restructure contracts and make difficult decisions to navigate these financial constraints while building a competitive roster.
New Orleans – The New Orleans Saints are facing significant salary cap challenges in the lead-up to the next NFL season, with approximately $29 million in unused salary cap space. As the team navigates roster adjustments and anticipated retirements, they must clear about $43 million by March 12, 2025, to remain compliant with the league’s salary cap regulations.
Forecasts from Over The Cap and Spotrac indicate that the Saints’ salary cap situation is relatively stable at around $29 million, but they are under pressure to address various contracts. Historically, the Saints have used substantial cap space to secure early extensions for players during the offseason. As part of this strategy, the team is expected to consider extensions for key players such as linebacker Pete Werner, right guard Cesar Ruiz, and running back Alvin Kamara. Additionally, former wide receiver Michael Thomas had previously signed a deal in July during a past offseason.
The 2025 season will also bring free agency considerations for wide receivers Keith Taylor and Rashid Shaheed, who both need to demonstrate their value this season to earn new contracts. First-year left guard Trevor Penning has the potential to secure a long-term deal if he shows promising performance. However, the team is also faced with aging players whose contracts are expiring, including linebacker Demario Davis and safety Tyrann Mathieu, both of whom express a desire to continue their playing careers.
The Saints’ financial outlook is complicated by anticipated retirements or releases of players like Michael Thomas and Jameis Winston. There are also contract voiding possibilities for players such as Juwan Johnson, Tanoh Kpassagnon, and Chase Young, which contribute to the team’s dead money situation. Historically, the Saints have managed to restructure contracts to handle salary cap constraints, but this has now resulted in a notably heavy dead money burden.
In a surprising turn of events, the Saints benefited from the unexpected retirements of quarterback Derek Carr and offensive tackle Ryan Ramczyk, resulting in over $40 million in savings against the salary cap over the next two years. Carr’s retirement was partly attributed to a degenerative shoulder injury. As a result of his retirement, the Saints save $28.7 million on Carr’s cap hit for 2026.
Despite these savings, the team faces a significant dead money load from Carr’s original contract, which could total over $50 million between the 2025 and 2026 seasons. Following a series of restructures, Carr’s cap figure for 2025 was reduced from $51.4 million to approximately $20.5 million, yet this still leaves room for ongoing financial evaluations.
To further alleviate their salary cap pressures, the Saints may look to restructure additional contracts as they head into the upcoming season. Key veteran players, including defensive tackle Khalen Saunders, may also be at risk of release to create cap space. The team’s decision-making history regarding salary cap management has led to this complex situation, which is now intensified by a period of inexperience at the quarterback position following Carr’s retirement. The Saints are poised to rely on rookie talent to navigate the challenges ahead and build a competitive roster amidst ongoing financial restructuring efforts.
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