The New Orleans Saints haven’t added many new names in free agency yet, but they’re making sure to retain their top guys. On Monday, the team re-signed defensive end Chase Young to a three-year deal, and on Tuesday, New Orleans did the same with tight end Juwan Johnson. The veteran tight end has reportedly agreed to a three-year deal worth $30.75 million, with $21.25 million guaranteed.
This is a big re-signing for the Saints, because Johnson had interest from other teams, and if he would’ve moved on to one of those teams, New Orleans would’ve lost its top tight end. Instead, the veteran will remain in New Orleans and be a part of the Kellen Moore era.
Saints re-sign Juwan Johnson to a three-year deal
Johnson has played his entire career in New Orleans, joining the team as an undrafted free agent in 2020. In five years, he worked his way from being a practice squad player to becoming the most productive receiving tight end on the roster. After the best season of his career in 2024, he’ll try to build on that momentum with the Saints.
The career-best season in 2024 consisted of Johnson playing all 17 games, and catching 50 passes for 548 yards and three touchdowns— the receptions and receiving yards were both career highs. In his entire career, he has 146 receptions for 1,622 yards and 18 touchdowns in 67 games. While he’s been solid, there’s a belief that his game could go to another level.
Maybe Johnson will reach that level under new head coach Kellen Moore. Moore, who made his name as an offensive coordinator, has experience designing plays for tight ends. As he gets to know Johnson, and the rest of the players on the offense, he’ll figure out what he needs to do to get the most out of them. With Johnson scheduled to be around for the next three years, Moore will be able to use him as a building block for his offense.
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