The Saints have started clearing out some salary space ahead of the start of the 2026 league year.
Nick Underhill on NewOrleans.Football reports that they have restructured three contracts of veteran players. Tight end Juwan Johnson, defensive end Chase Young, and safety Justin Reid all had their salaries converted to bonuses that will push portions of their cap hits into future seasons.
Johnson had a base salary of $9.08 million, Young’s was $14.83 million, and Reid was on the books for $9.25 million.
Assuming the Saints converted as much salary as possible, the moves should net the Saints around $24 million in cap space. The moves should also make them cap compliant heading into next week.
Saints Clips
After 15 seasons with the Saints, defensive end Cameron Jordan is ready to look for opportunities elsewhere.
Jordan and the Saints will not agree to a new deal before the start of free agency, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.
That means the 36-year-old Jordan will be free to shop his services to any other team. He does plan to play in 2026, with the Saints or someone else.
Despite his advancing age, Jordan had a solid season in 2025, starting all 17 games and recording 10.5 sacks. There will be plenty of teams interested in his services.
Jordan said recently that he’s not asking for top dollar, but is asking to be valued. It may turn out that some other team values Jordan more than the Saints.
Will Clapp may have elected to conclude his playing career, but he will still be among the pros in 2026.
The Saints announced on Tuesday that Clapp has been added to the club’s coaching staff as an offensive assistant.
Clapp, 30, returned to the Saints as a free agent last offseason after spending the 2024 season with the Bills. But Clapp suffered a Lisfranc injury in New Orleans’ first preseason game, which sidelined him for the rest of 2025.
He announced his retirement last week.
Clapp was a New Orleans seventh-round pick in 2018. He appeared in 66 games with 22 starts for the Saints, Chargers, and Bills.
Earlier this month, quarterback Derek Carr made it clear that he’d end his one-year retirement to play for a Super Bowl contender. If a team is interested in Carr, however, that team has yet to commence the process of acquiring his contractual rights.
Carr remains on the Saints’ reserve-retired list. Any team that wants him will have to work out a trade with the Saints.
To date, the Saints have not heard (we’re told) from any team that wants to make a deal for Carr.
Most Super Bowl contenders are Super Bowl contenders because they have a starting quarterback in place. Carr’s best play, if he wants to have a chance to chase a Super Bowl, would be to wait for a season-ending injury to a quarterback playing for a contender, and then to hope that team wants to sign him.
And if no option emerges before the trade deadline, Carr may need to ask the Saints to release his rights, which would position him to sign with someone as a free agent. After the window closes for making trades, Carr would have to clear waivers before joining a contender that suddenly needs a new quarterback.
An eleven-year veteran and a four-time Pro Bowler, Carr has authored only two seasons that resulted in playoff berths. He missed the wild-card game in 2016 after suffering a late-season leg fracture. In 2021, the Raiders lost to the Bengals in the opening round.
A Pro Football Hall of Famer could become a Major League Baseball owner.
The Athletic reports that Drew Brees has partnered with Vuori founder Joe Kudla to explore the possibility of joining one of the groups that has submitted an initial bid for the San Diego Padres.
The deadline for the first round of bids was Wednesday, February 25. Five groups made bids before the deadline.
The Padres were put on the market in November 2025. A sale could happen by the start of the 2026 MLB season.
In 2012, the Padres sold for $800 million. The record for a baseball team was set in 2020, when the Mets sold for $2.42 billion.
Brees, who was elected earlier this month to the Hall of Fame, started his career with the then-San Diego Chargers. He played for the Chargers from 2001 through 2005. Brees vaulted to superstar status with the Saints, where he played from 2006 through 2020.
Teams making decisions about picking up the fifth-year options on the contracts of their 2023 first-round picks now know how much that will cost.
The NFL revealed the values on Friday afternoon. There are four levels of compensation at each position. Players who have made multiple Pro Bowls as an original selection are at the top followed by players with one Pro Bowl selection and players who have hit playing time milestones before reaching the lowest level.
Panthers quarterback Bryce Young and Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud were the first two picks of that draft and both of them reached the playing time level of compensation. That will leave them with fully guaranteed salaries of $25.904 million if the teams decide to exercise the options, but longer-term extensions are also a possibility now that they have finished their third seasons.
The full list of 2023 first-rounders — there were 31 that year because the Dolphins were stripped of their pick — and their fifth-year option salaries appears below:
1. Panthers QB Bryce Young — $25.904 million (playing time).
2. Texans QB C.J. Stroud — $25.904 million (playing time).
3. Texans DE Will Anderson — $21.512 (Pro Bowl).
4. Colts QB Anthony Richardson — $22.483 million (base).
5. Seahawks CB Devon Witherspoon — $21.161 million (multiple Pro Bowls).
6. Cardinals OT Paris Johnson — $19.072 million (playing time).
7. Raiders DE Tyree Wilson — $14.475 million (base).
8. Falcons RB Bijan Robinson — $11.323 million (Pro Bowl).
9. Eagles DT Jalen Carter — $27.127 million (multiple Pro Bowls).
10. Bears OT Darnell Wright — $19.072 million (playing time).
11. Titans OG Peter Skoronski — $19.072 million (playing time).
12. Lions RB Jahmyr Gibbs — $14.293 million (multiple Pro Bowls).
13. Packers DE Lukas Van Ness — $14.475 million (base).
14. Steelers OT Broderick Jones — $19.072 million (playing time).
15. Jets DE Will McDonald — $14.475 million (base).
16. Rams CB Emmanuel Forbes — $12.633 million (base).
17. Patriots CB Christian Gonzalez — $18.119 million (Pro Bowl).
18. Lions LB Jack Campbell — $21.925 million (Pro Bowl).
19. Buccaneers DT Calijah Kancey — $15.451 (playing time).
20. Seahawks WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba — $23.852 million (Pro Bowl).
21. Chargers WR Quentin Johnston — $18 million (playing time).
22. Ravens WR Zay Flowers — $27.298 million (multiple Pro Bowls).
23. Vikings WR Jordan Addison — $18 million (playing time).
24. Giants CB Deonte Banks — $12.633 million (base).
25. Bills TE Dalton Kincaid — $8.162 million (base).
26. Jets DT Mazi Smith — $13.391 million (base) Smith was traded to the Jets by the Cowboys.
27. Jaguars OT Anton Harrison — $19.072 million (playing time).
28. Bengals DE Myles Murphy — $14.475 million (base).
29. Saints DT Bryan Bresee — $13.391 million (base).
30. Eagles LB Nolan Smith — $13.752 million (base).
31. Chiefs Felix Anudike-Uzomah — $14.475 million (base).
Defensive end Cam Jordan has spent his entire 15-year NFL career with the Saints and he’s the franchise’s all-time leader in games played, but he may not be back for a 16th season in New Orleans.
Jordan is set for free agency after recording 10.5 sacks for the Saints during the 2025 season and he told TMZ Sports that there “could be a bright future” for the team after quarterback Tyler Shough’s rookie season. Whether he’s part of that future will come down to whether the two sides can find common ground on a new contract and Jordan said that he’s aware that his age means he’s not going to be looking to break the bank on his next deal.
“If you get a 10-sack season, if I was 26, I’d be asking for top dollar,” Jordan said. “Things I’ve never asked for is top dollar. All I’ve ever asked for is to be valued.”
The number that Jordan believes is his value might not be the same as the one the Saints have in mind and more clarity on where things stand for all involved should come in the near future.
The following are PFT’s top 100 free agents for the start of the 2026 league year. The rankings include prospective unrestricted free agents and released players. The list will be updated as events warrant, with signings, tags and re-signings denoted when announced and/or reported. Players released after initial publication may be added and all 100 players initially on the list will still be listed after any additions.
1. Cowboys wide receiver George Pickens. (Placed the franchise tag on him on February 27.)
2. Colts quarterback Daniel Jones. (Placed the transition tag on him on March 3.)
3. Ravens center Tyler Linderbaum.
4. Jaguars linebacker Devin Lloyd.
5. Bengals edge rusher Trey Hendrickson.
6. Falcons tight end Kyle Pitts. (Placed the franchise tag on him on February 24.)
7. Colts wide receiver Alec Pierce.
8. Chiefs cornerback Jaylen Watson.
9. Jets running back Breece Hall. (Placed the franchise tag on him on March 3.)
10. Packers quarterback Malik Willis.
11. Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray.
12. Bucs cornerback Jamel Dean.
13. Seahawks WR/KR/PR Rashid Shaheed.
14. Packers offensive tackle Rasheed Walker.
15. Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker.
16. Colts offensive tackle Braden Smith.
17. Eagles linebacker Nakobe Dean.
18. Seahawks edge rusher Boye Mafe.
19. Packers linebacker Quay Walker.
20. Chiefs linebacker Leo Chenal.
21. Bucs wide receiver Mike Evans.
22. Seahawks defensive back Coby Bryant.
23. 49ers wide receiver Jauan Jennings.
24. Packers wide receiver Romeo Doubs.
25. Jaguars running back Travis Etienne.
26. Broncos edge rusher John Franklin-Myers.
27. Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers.
28. Eagles edge rusher Jaelen Phillips.
29. Commanders wide receiver Deebo Samuel.
30. Bills center Connor McGovern.
31. Jets guard Alijah Vera-Tucker.
32. Seahawks cornerback Riq Woolen.
33. Chiefs safety Bryan Cook.
34. Bears cornerback Nahshon Wright.
35. Bills edge rusher Joey Bosa.
36. Dolphins edge rusher Bradley Chubb.
37. Ravens tight end Isaiah Likely.
38. Chargers edge rusher Odafe Oweh.
39. Steelers offensive guard Isaac Seumalo.
40. Lions defensive tackle D.J. Reader.
41. Browns linebacker Devin Bush.
42. Bears safety Jaquan Brisker.
43. Rams safety Kamren Curl.
44. Bills offensive guard David Edwards.
45. Patriots edge rusher K’Lavon Chaisson.
46. Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill.
47. Saints cornerback Alontae Taylor.
48. Chargers offensive guard Zion Johnson.
49. Browns offensive guard Joel Bitonio.
50. Eagles tight end Dallas Goedert.
51. Lions linebacker Alex Anzalone.
52. Panthers center Cade Mays.
53. Chargers edge rusher Khalil Mack.
54. Bears safety Kevin Byard.
55. Colts edge rusher Kwity Paye.
56. Falcons linebacker Kaden Elliss.
57. Ravens edge rusher Dre’Mont Jones.
58. Browns offensive guard Wyatt Teller.
59. Lions edge rusher Al-Quadin Muhammad.
60. Commanders linebacker Bobby Wagner.
61. Giants wide receiver Wan’Dale Robinson.
62. Patriots safety Jaylinn Hawkins.
63. Cowboys edge rusher Jadeveon Clowney.
64. Saints linebacker Demario Davis.
65. Panthers running back Rico Dowdle.
66. Falcons edge rusher Arnold Ebiketie.
67. Titans offensive guard Kevin Zeitler.
68. Broncos running back J.K. Dobbins.
69. Cardinals safety Jalen Thompson.
70. Buccaneers tight end Cade Otton.
71. Saints edge rusher Cameron Jordan.
72. Seahawks cornerback Josh Jobe.
73. Giants offensive tackle Jermaine Eluemunor.
74. Commanders center Tyler Biadasz.
75. Texans wide receiver Christian Kirk.
76. Browns tight end David Njoku.
77. Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce.
78. Giants offensive guard Greg Van Roten.
79. Commanders quarterback Marcus Mariota.
80. Jaguars cornerback Montaric Brown.
81. Falcons defensive tackle David Onyemata.
82. Bucs linebacker Lavonte David.
83. Bengals guard Dalton Risner. (Re-signed with Bengals on March 2.)
84. Vikings safety Harrison Smith.
85. Giants quarterback Russell Wilson.
86. Ravens wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins.
87. Jets safety Andre Cisco.
88. Buccaneers running back Rachaad White.
89. Packers edge rusher Kingsley Enagbare.
90. Chargers wide receiver Keenan Allen.
91. Dolphins cornerback Rasul Douglas.
92. Texans defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins.
93. Titans tight end Chig Okonwko.
94. Eagles safety Reed Blankenship.
95. Raiders offensive guard Dylan Parham.
96. Browns safety Rayshawn Jenkins.
97. Broncos linebacker Alex Singleton.
98. Broncos outside linebacker Justin Strnad.
99. Bengals quarterback Joe Flacco.
100. Colts cornerback Mike Hilton.
101. Bills defensive tackle DaQuan Jones.
102. Falcons running back Tyler Allgeier.
Quarterback Derek Carr is interested in playing for a Super Bowl contender. The Saints will have something to say about that.
Carr remains on the New Orleans reserve-retired list. He’s not a free agent. He can sign with a new team only if the Saints release him.
The Brett Favre (2008) strategy is available. Unretire. Show up in New Orleans. His base salary would hit the books again. Their options would be to release him or trade him.
The more practical outcome would go like this. First, Carr would find a team that is interested in acquiring his rights. Second, that team would contact the Saints to work something out. Third, if an agreement is reached, Carr would be traded.
Yes, there are elements of tampering included within that approach. But the Saints wouldn’t care. They’d end up getting a draft pick (or two) for a player who has moved on.
The Saints have moved on, too. Tyler Shough is their guy. The Saints won’t want to pivot back to Carr.
It’s a win-win, if someone trades for him.
The Saints also could handle the situation more directly, by granting Carr express permission to talk to other teams in an effort to work out a trade. Regardless, Carr doesn’t have the freedom that he’d have if he’d been released.
He hasn’t been. And while it shouldn’t be a huge issue, it’s still an issue that keeps it from being as simple as Carr finding a team and signing a contract.
Derek Carr has confirmed the report that he would consider playing in 2026, but he says it would have to be in the perfect situation.
Carr announced his retirement from the Saints nine months ago, but he said on his podcast on Thursday that he has always been open to playing again, provided the shoulder injury he struggled with last year feels good, and that a team with a chance at winning the Super Bowl is interested in him.
“Would I do it? Yes. Would I do it for anybody? Absolutely not,” Carr said. “I’d have to be healthy and I’d want a chance to win a Super Bowl. And obviously, that’s a tough thing to find. That’s hard to do. That’s not easy.”
The 34-year-old Carr hinted that he is healthy and that some teams have already reached out, but he didn’t think they were the right fit.
“I had to say no a couple times so far,” Carr said.
Carr was still under contract to the Saints when he retired, and it’s unclear whether the Saints have given permission for him to talk to other teams, and what if anything they would seek in a trade for his rights. So there are some hoops to jump through before he can return. But Carr sounds like he wants to play, if he can find the right team.
