DE Cam Jordan Returning to New Orleans Saints for 16th and Final Season

Cam Jordan made it clear at the end of last season and into this offseason that he was not ready to hang up his cleats, and he would prefer to continue his eventual Hall of Fame career with the New Orleans Saints – the only team he has ever known.

It appears as of Tuesday afternoon, he will, have that chance.

Cam Jordan is back on a one-year deal! ⚜️

(As @T_Armstead72 reported) pic.twitter.com/jZwHzbaZ8W
— New Orleans Saints (@Saints) June 16, 2026

The Saints officially announced Tuesday (June 16), Jordan is coming back for what. the longtime great says will be his final season. Through the team, he said: "For the last 15 years, New Orleans has been more than a city to me; it's been family. This season is about gratitude. It's about saying thank you to teachers, students, families, fans, teammates and community leaders who have supported me every step of the way."

There's no official word on contract details, but it's likely to be around the minimum of $1.6 million laden with incentives. And if he collects numbers anywhere in the range of last season, he could have one more financially prosperous campaign before his retirement.

In 2025, he had double-digit sacks for the first time since 2021, which was his fifth of six consecutive trips to the Pro Bowl. And the plan for Jordan could be similar to what kept him rejuvenated last year: Play him in about half the snaps.

Massive numbers jump in 2025

In all, he had an unlikely jump from the previous two seasons where he had two sacks and 43 tackles in 2023 and four sacks and 34 tackles in ’24 to 10.5 sacks and 47 tackles last year.

Jordan didn’t seem to mesh with how he was used under the previous administration and was fairly vocal about it. Under defensive coordinator Brandon Staley, he thrived.

For quite some time near the end of the season and into the offseason it was unclear whether he would return to New Orleans. He tested the free-agent market, and it didn’t appear as if there was a great demand for an edge rusher who turns 37 years old on July 10.

Saints general manager Mickey Loomis confirmed last month that the team had made an offer to Jordan, but wouldn’t give any details on what that offer might be. Whatever it ends up costing the team, it almost surely will be spread over some time, as the Saints went into the week as a team with the fourth-least amount available under the cap at just shy of $7 million, according to Spotrac.

That is expected to change dramatically before next season.

37 just a number?

Unlike some spots on the offensive side of the football, a defensive player can thrive into his late 30s.

Reggie White had one of the most dominating performances in NFL history at age 37 in 1998 when he collected 16 sacks and won the AP’s Defensive Player of the Year award. Rod Woodson had eight interceptions for the Oakland Raiders in 2002 at the same age.

Kellen Moore on Cam Jordan visiting today pic.twitter.com/FzpyGxzt3G
— New Orleans Saints (@Saints) June 16, 2026

Chris Doleman (1998), Julius Peppers (2017) and Kevin Greene (1997) all had double-digit sack totals in their age-37 seasons. Hall of Famer Bruce Smith collected 46 total sacks after his 35th birthday.

Could Jordan have a similar performance this year to last year? Considering his durability, we won’t doubt the possibility.

He has only missed two games in his 243-game career in the NFL. One came in 2021 when he was placed on the COVID list, and the other came in 2022 due to a fractured orbital bone.

In all, he has 132 sacks, which has him well ahead of Rickey Jackson for the all-time leader in team history. Seven more sacks would move put him in the top 10 all time, and he is 18.5 away from the top five.

"Football brought me here, but the people of New Orleans gave me a home," Jordan said.

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