The New Orleans Saints wrapped up a tough 2025 campaign at 6-11, but don’t let the record fool you-this team showed signs of life down the stretch. They were one of only three teams to go undefeated in December, a late-season surge that offered a glimmer of hope heading into what figures to be a pivotal offseason.
But that hope comes with a heavy dose of reality. General manager Mickey Loomis is staring down a tricky offseason puzzle.
The Saints are clearly entering a rebuild, yet their salary cap situation is among the worst in the league-eighth-worst, to be exact, per Over The Cap. That means tough decisions are coming, and some familiar faces may not be around much longer.
New Orleans was relatively quiet during the 2025 offseason, but that’s unlikely to be the case this time around. With the front office committed to building around quarterback Tyler Shough, expect the Saints to be more aggressive in reshaping the roster. That could mean parting ways with some long-tenured veterans-moves that won’t be easy for fans or the locker room but may be necessary to reset the franchise.
This is the kind of offseason where loyalty meets reality. Loomis has long been known for standing by his guys, but even the most loyal GMs eventually have to make cold, calculated calls.
We saw the Rams and Seahawks make surprise veteran cuts last year, and those moves paid off. The Saints could be next in line to make similar waves.
Let’s break down some of the biggest names who could be on the chopping block-and why those decisions, while painful, might be what’s best for the team long-term.
Carl Granderson: Still Solid, But No Longer Indispensable
Carl Granderson has been a staple of the Saints’ defense since bursting onto the scene as an undrafted free agent in 2019. By 2023, he’d earned a four-year, $52 million extension after playing nearly 80% of defensive snaps and delivering a career year. He was the kind of relentless edge-rusher who rarely came off the field, a motor guy who gave you Maxx Crosby vibes in terms of effort and availability.
But fast forward to 2025, and Granderson’s role has started to shrink. He played closer to 60% of the snaps last season-a league-average workload for an edge-rusher.
That drop-off isn’t just about age or scheme; it’s also about competition. The Saints’ defensive front has gotten deeper, and that’s made Granderson’s presence a little less vital than it once was.
Cameron Jordan continues to defy time, leading the team with 10.5 sacks in 2025. Meanwhile, Chase Young finally tapped into his potential with a career-high 10 sacks, and both Nathan Shepherd and Jonah Williams stepped up their games. Granderson is still productive, but when he’s not on the field, the impact isn’t as glaring as it used to be.
There’s also the possibility of moving Bryan Bresee back outside. After a promising 2024 season with 7.5 sacks, Bresee regressed to just 2.5 in 2025. Shifting him to the edge could add another body to the rotation and make Granderson more expendable.
Financially, cutting Granderson after June 1 would save over $7 million in cap space. The Saints restructured his deal in 2025 to keep him around, but with the team needing every dollar it can find, that decision may get revisited.
Alvin Kamara: A Franchise Icon Facing a Harsh Reality
Now we get to the emotional heart of the matter. Alvin Kamara has been one of the faces of the franchise for nearly a decade, tied with Taysom Hill as the second-longest tenured Saint. But as much as it would hurt to see him go, the numbers-and the trajectory-tell a tough story.
Kamara turned back the clock in 2024 with a career-high 950 rushing yards, but 2025 was a different story. At age 30, he posted career lows across the board: just 471 rushing yards, 186 receiving yards, and a steep drop in efficiency-3.6 yards per carry and 5.6 yards per catch. He also missed time, appearing in just 11 games, the fewest of his career.
To put it bluntly, Kamara didn’t look like himself. He lacked the burst, the vision, and the elusiveness that once made him one of the league’s most dynamic backs.
And in the second half of the season, the Saints started turning the page. Kamara didn’t play after Week 12, and rookies Devin Neal and Audric Estime took over the backfield.
Estime, in particular, showed real promise, racking up 157 rushing yards in the final two games.
The Saints could look to the 2026 NFL Draft to add another young back, especially if new offensive coordinator Kellen Moore sees Neal and Estime as complementary pieces rather than bell-cow options. Kamara, who doesn’t fit as cleanly in Moore’s system or with Shough’s skill set, may simply be the odd man out.
Cutting Kamara after June 1 would free up $8.5 million in cap space. It wouldn’t be a popular move, but it might be the right one for a team trying to reshape its identity and maximize every dollar.
Isaac Yiadom: The Writing’s on the Wall
Some decisions are harder than others. This one? Not so much.
Isaac Yiadom has bounced in and out of the Saints’ plans over the past few years, but 2025 made it clear that his time in New Orleans is likely up. He started the season as a projected contributor after Paulson Adebo departed for the Giants, but it didn’t last.
Yiadom logged 108 defensive snaps in the first two weeks, then just 36 over the next two. After that, he was benched entirely from defensive duties, relegated to special teams until he resurfaced briefly in Week 16. In the meantime, rookie Quincy Riley stepped up as the team’s nickelback, joining Alontae Taylor and Kool-Aid McKinstry in a young, promising secondary.
There’s not much financial incentive to cut Yiadom-just $1.2 million in post-June 1 savings-but the roster spot is more valuable at this point. With younger, more effective players in the fold, Yiadom simply doesn’t have a clear role anymore.
The Bottom Line
The Saints are heading into an offseason that could redefine the franchise. They’ve got a young quarterback to build around, a new offensive coordinator in Kellen Moore, and a defense that’s quietly becoming one of the more intriguing units in the NFC. But to take the next step, they’ll need to make some difficult, even painful, roster decisions.
Carl Granderson, Alvin Kamara, and Isaac Yiadom have all had their moments in the black and gold. But if the Saints are serious about building for the future, those moments may have to give way to new beginnings. The rebuild is real-and it starts now.