The New Orleans Saints have already knocked out three major contract questions this offseason, and another one could be waiting in line.
First came Cam Jordan’s return. Then the team extended Alvin Kamara so he can spend another year in New Orleans.
And just yesterday, the Saints officially locked up star wide receiver Chris Olave on a contract extension that worked out well for both sides. Olave got paid like one of the NFL’s top receivers and more than his former college teammate, Garrett Wilson, while the Saints avoided having to go all the way to top dollar with injury concerns still part of the equation.
With those pieces in place, the Saints can turn their attention back to the roster and the future. That future already has to be on their radar, even if some of the timing is still fuzzy. Tyler Shough’s potential 2029 extension is the kind of thing that can sit in the back of a team’s mind, even if nobody knows whether it will actually happen.
The next extension candidate may be Chase Young. He’s been one of New Orleans’ best recent signings, a player whose value had dropped to a career low before the Saints took the chance. They liked enough of what they saw to extend him again the following offseason, and that deal is set to run through 2027.
Young still needs to show what he can do this season before any real talks begin, but next offseason looks like the point where the conversation could heat up. His best football has come in New Orleans, and he’s established himself as a franchise pass rusher. Even if he doesn’t end up getting top-of-market money, there doesn’t seem to be much reason for him to want to leave.
He’ll be 29 when that contract expires, which matters. Still, the expectation is that the Saints will try to get something done, and that Young could be the next player they hand a significant extension to.
In Other News...
Saints Camp Battle At QB Feels Bigger Than Fans Want To Admit
Training camp has a way of turning even the backup quarterback job into a referendum, and that is where the Saints find themselves right now. Spencer Rattler is drawing the strongest support in a reader poll, which says as much about the intrigue around him as it does about the uncertainty behind the top spot on the depth chart.
Zach Wilson remains the other name to watch, bringing the kind of draft pedigree that keeps a competition alive longer than most. With camp underway, the Saints still have time to let this play out, but the attention around the No. 2 quarterback spot suggests fans are already treating it like one of the more important battles on the roster. [Read more 🡒]
Saints Camp Has An Underdog Receiver Fans Should Be Watching
An undrafted rookie wide receiver has started to draw attention at Saints training camp, and Brock Rechsteiner is the kind of player fans tend to latch onto this time of year. His path has already made him interesting: he began as a walk-on at Jacksonville State, then worked his way into a scholarship and a starting job, the sort of climb that usually earns a longer look once the pads come on and the roster battles get real.
For New Orleans, the task is simple but unforgiving. Rechsteiner has shown enough promising traits to keep himself in the conversation, but he is competing in a crowded receiver room where every rep matters and every practice can tilt the depth chart. The Saints are still sorting out who can stick, and his progress is one of the quieter camp stories worth watching closely. [Read more 🡒]