Saints linebacker Pete Werner, a second-round pick in 2021, was due to make $1.435 million this year. He now has a new contract with the Saints.
We’ve gotten a look at the full numbers. Here are the details of the three-year extension and, in all, four-year deal:
1. Signing bonus: $5.5 million, half of which is due within 30 days and the other half of which is due by September 30, 2024.
2. 2024 base salary: $1.435 million, fully guaranteed.
3. 2025 base salary: $4.25 million, fully guaranteed.
4. 2026 base salary: $6.25 million, guaranteed for injury at signing and fully guaranteed as of the third day of the 2025 league year.
5. 2027 base salary: $6.5 million.
For 2025, 2026, and 2027, Werner gets $400,000 if he participates in at least 95 percent of the defensive snaps.
The deal includes up to $450,000 in playing-time escalators for 2026 and 2027, based on playing time in 2024 and 2025. For 85-percent playing time in 2024 or 2025, a $225,000 escalator activates. For 90-percent playing time, another $225,000 is unlocked.
In all, it’s a four-year, $23.935 million deal. The extension has a value of $22.5 million, with a new-money average of $7.5 million per year.
The maximum value of the extension is $24.6 million. The maximum value of the four-year deal is $26.035 million.