Cameron

Jordan

Jordan announced on his Instagram that he will be returning for his 15th season in the NFL. He will be 36 years old to start the season and agreed to a reworked contract to return to New Orleans. Spending his entire career with the Saints, Jordan has totaled 121.5 career sacks over 14 seasons but has just six over the last two. No longer the player he used to be, it is possible Jordan just plays out his contract into retirement.

According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Jordan signed a deal that freed up $1.5 million in cap space for the Saints. Jordan is just the latest Saint to re-work his deal as the team once again looks to get below the cap before the start of the new league year. A 13-year vet, Jordan has 117.5 career sacks to his name but managed just two sacks in 17 games last year. Jordan will be 35 at the start of next season and is clearly on the back nine of his career.

Jordan’s production saw quite a dip in 2023, but he attributed much of his struggles to an ankle injury that bothered him all season. Despite playing in all 17 games for the Saints this season, Jordan managed just 43 tackles and two sacks — his lowest sack total since his rookie season. Jordan is under contract with the Saints through 2025 and is owed $13 million next season. He carries a dead cap hit of nearly $49 million, meaning he’ll be on the roster as long as he decides to continue playing. His comments on Monday suggest he won’t be hanging things up anytime soon.

Jordan was a DNP on Wednesday but managed to get in limited practices on both Thursday and Friday to close out the week. Jordan has hit a bit of a wall this season, totaling 36 tackles and two sacks through 12 games. Jordan is on pace to finish the year with three sacks, which would mark his fewest since his rookie season when he managed just one sack in 16 games.

Defensive end Cameron Jordan is listed as questionable because of an ankle issue. He did not practice at all this week and looks likely to miss Week 13 as well. Though still a strong defensive unit, the Saints, now undermanned, are an easier matchup for the Lions than expected. Jared Goff, Amon-Ra St. Brown, and Sam LaPorta are all top-12 fantasy options at their respective positions this week.

Defensive end Cameron Jordan also sat out of Wednesday’s practice. He is dealing with an ankle issue. Both players have started every game they have been active for this year. Jordan has two sacks and a fumble recovery while Maye has a pair of interceptions plus a sack. Losing both for Week 13 would make the Saints a slightly easier matchup for Detroit.

Jordan, 34, the team’s all-time sack leader, is now tied to the Saints through the 2025 season. It’s the biggest contract ever signed by a 34-year-old defensive player, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Jordan hasn’t showed signs of slowing down, with 21 sacks over the past two seasons. Jordan will anchor a New Orleans defensive line graded by Pro Football Focus as the league’s tenth worst pass rush unit in 2022.

“If we get a deal done, that’ll be probably the final years of my career here,” Jordan told the AP. Jordan probably has a Hall of Fame case after racking up 115.5 sacks in 12 years while missing just one game. Jordan turns 34 in July and an extension would probably free up some cap space for the Saints as he’s now sitting with a $15.1 million cap figure for this coming season.

According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Jordan’s restructured deal will create $10 million in cap space for the Saints. Set to enter his age-34 season, Jordan is fresh off a 2022 campaign in which he totaled 66 tackles, 13 TFLs, and 8.5 sacks. Despite playing in 16 games, it’s worth noting Jordan’s 790 defensive snaps were his fewest since his rookie campaign. He’s seen a steady decline in snaps over each of the last four seasons but continues to produce at a high level.

The Saints responded by saying, “The New Orleans Saints deny any allegations of purposefully delaying the game on Monday evening.” The play in question occurred late in the fourth quarter when Jordan stayed on a knee, causing a stoppage in play on the Buccaneers’ final possession of the game. The organization continued by providing evidence of a sprained foot sustained on the drive, which Jordan has been receiving medical attention for each day since. The Saints have appealed the fines.