The New Orleans Saints are continuing to shuffle the books as Week 1 approaches, and Nathan Shepherd is the latest veteran to have his deal adjusted. According to a Spotrac report shared in this episode, New Orleans converted $3.4 million of Shepherd’s salary into a signing bonus, a move that creates approximately $2.7 million in 2026 cap space.
That report also lists Shepherd as being in a contract year, with $4.77 million set to be earned and another $1.3 million available in incentives. Those incentives are separate from guaranteed money, and the restructure changes when the cap hit lands rather than cutting Shepherd’s pay by $2.7 million. Under NFL accounting rules, a signing bonus can be spread across multiple seasons, which gives the Saints some short-term breathing room while pushing charges down the road.
The bigger question for New Orleans is what kind of flexibility still exists as the season opens. A move like this opens space, but it does not automatically mean another signing or trade is on the way.
Shepherd’s adjustment comes on the heels of two other Saints restructures. A September 9 report from Who Dat Dish said Cesar Ruiz’s cap hit dropped from approximately $14.2 million to $7.99 million, while Davon Godchaux’s fell from approximately $7.1 million to $3.02 million.
The $2.9 million available-cap figure circulating with the supplied notes is a separate snapshot, and its timing has not been confirmed. That number should not be treated as an independently verified total after all three moves, since cap space created by a transaction and total available cap space are not the same thing.
On the field side, the Saints are also dealing with injury questions ahead of their opener against the Detroit Lions. The most complete official injury report available while preparing this preview was Thursday’s.
Godchaux’s absence was listed as rest, while Kamara was limited in practice. That limited tag reflects workload, not a final game designation, and Friday’s participation and game-status columns were still blank on the official injury report page when checked.
Big Q’s final-report discussion will center on what the confirmed availability means for New Orleans’ backfield, defensive rotation and overall options against Detroit. The cap moves are one storyline; who actually suits up is another, and both matter as the Saints get ready for Week 1.
In Other News...
Jordan Pooles Pelicans Role Suddenly Looks A Lot More Fragile
The Pelicans spent the summer leaning into continuity, and the addition of Bennedict Mathurin on a two-year deal only sharpened the competition in a backcourt that already had limited room to spare. For Jordan Poole, that means last seasons dip now carries extra weight, because New Orleans did not reshape the roster to make his path easier. Instead, the team doubled down on the group it already had, leaving Poole to fit into a picture that is getting clearer without necessarily getting friendlier.
Poole still has the shot-making and off-the-dribble flair that can change a game in a hurry, but his defensive limitations make the margin thin under coach Jamahl Mosley. In a rotation where fit matters as much as talent, that creates a tricky spot for a player who needs the ball and needs the right circumstances to stay on the floor. The Pelicans do not have to rush any decision, but the shape of the roster suggests Poole may have to prove he belongs in the mix before anyone starts calling him a fixture. [Read more 🡒]
Pelicans Still Have One Back-End Roster Spot Worth Watching
The Pelicans added another familiar name to the mix by signing Christian Shumate to a training camp contract, keeping the 24-year-old forward in the organization after he first came aboard on an Exhibit 10 deal. Shumate, a four-year player at McNeese State, already spent time with New Orleans G League affiliate in Birmingham, which gives him a little more continuity than the typical late-summer invitee.
With 21 players under contract and one two-way spot still open, the back end of the roster remains worth monitoring as camp approaches. Shumate is part of that conversation now, and his return suggests the Pelicans are still sorting through how they want to use their final opportunities before the roster picture gets set. [Read more 🡒]
Pelicans Year 2 Pressure Is Building For Jeremiah Fears And Derik Queen
Jeremiah Fears and Derik Queen are entering the kind of second season that tends to shape how a franchise talks about its young core for years. For the Pelicans, the comparison point is unavoidable because the bar in New Orleans has long been set by stars like Chris Paul and Anthony Davis, but the more useful question is not whether Fears or Queen can mirror that kind of trajectory right away. It is how much real, believable progress they can make while handling different roles and carrying different parts of the offense and defense.
The expectation around both players is less about chasing legend-level production and more about proving the growth is real by the end of the year. Fears and Queen do not need to become the next Paul or Davis to matter to this team, but the Pelicans do need to see cleaner decision-making, stronger command of their individual skills, and signs that each can keep building toward something bigger. The pressure is already there because that is how New Orleans measures young talent, and this season should say plenty about how steep the climb still is. [Read more 🡒]