Is it time to prepare for an emotional goodbye with Cam Jordan?
With the start to NFL free agency around the corner, ESPN insider Adam Schefter posted on social media that Jordan, the star defensive end who has spent his entire 15-year Hall of Fame career in New Orleans, and the Saints will not reach an agreement on a new contract before Monday’s deadline.
That means Jordan, at age 36, will hit the open market for the first time in his career.
What it does not mean is that there is no way Jordan will be back with the Saints for year No. 16. New Orleans is still open to bringing Jordan back at the right price, and it figures that Jordan’s camp will give the Saints a chance to match any offer he gets elsewhere.
Still, this clearly is a departure from the previous times Jordan could have become a free agent. He signed a five-year, $55 million deal in June 2015 before the final year of his rookie contract, then a three-year, $52.5 million extension in June 2019 — again before the final season of his contract — and a two-year deal worth $27.5 million in 2023.
And after the 2024 season, when Jordan struggled to just four sacks in 48% of the team’s defensive stats, he accepted a pay cut that allowed the Saints to lower his cap number for 2025.
After recording two sacks in 2023 and four sacks in 2024, Jordan looked better than he had in years in part because he was no longer asked to occasionally play inside at defensive tackle. The 36-year-old was often frustrated by former defensive line coach Todd Grantham. Under defensive coordinator Brandon Staley, Jordan stuck to the edge and chased the quarterback.
Along the way, Jordan continued to climb up the league’s all-time sack leaderboard and now ranks 17th with 132. He is two sacks from passing John Abraham at No. 14.
“Did we expect 10½ sacks from him?” general manager Mickey Loomis said after the season. “No, I wouldn’t say that we expected that, but I’m excited for him.”
Accordingly, this offseason has been different from the start. In January, shortly after the season ended, Jordan said he wouldn’t be giving the Saints another discount, although he reiterated his desire to stay in New Orleans.
“The Saints have done nothing but show that they want me to be here,” Jordan said. “Now, at what price? Some would say half off this last year. I can’t do that again.”
The Saints would like Jordan back but also want to add another pass rusher to the fold this offseason. Doing so would potentially reduce Jordan’s role even further. Despite starting all 17 games, Jordan was effectively the team’s third pass rusher this season. He played 53.6% of the defense’s snaps, though that was with Chase Young missing the first five games of the year. After Young’s return, Jordan’s playing time dipped to 45.7%.
There are also questions about whether Jordan can maintain his rediscovered pass-rush productivity. According to ESPN’s Bill Barnwell, five of Jordan’s 10½ sacks were the result of either coverage sacks or bringing the quarterback down based on another pressure. His time to pressure of 3.47 seconds, according to Next Gen Stats, was the longest of the 15 players who finished with double-digit sacks. Only three of his 30 quarterbacks came under three seconds.
It’s likely hard for many to envision the former first-rounder playing elsewhere. Jordan has played a franchise-high 243 games across 15 seasons since taken 24th overall in 2011. He has also become a pillar in the community, founding his charity and visiting schools around New Orleans on his off day each week.
Jordan testing free agency, however, doesn’t automatically spell the end of his tenure in New Orleans. The two sides, in theory, could still reach an agreement after Jordan sees what else is out there.
But for now, Jordan hitting the market means that the Saints would absorb nearly $18.8 million toward their salary cap based on the dead money remaining on Jordan’s contract, which is set to void next Wednesday barring a new deal.
“The moment I got drafted black and gold, I’d figure I’d die in gold and black,” Jordan said after the season. “However you put it, Cam Jordan and black and gold have been synonymous. And I’ve always worked for it to stay that way.”