NFL Writer Bashes Saints Over 'Head-Scratching' $51 Million Contract

The Saints have made a few questionable decisions this offseason.

Dec 8, 2024; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New Orleans Saints defensive end Chase Young (99) looks up at fans before the game against the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

The New Orleans Saints have made some very productive strides to get out of cap space purgatory this offseason. New Orleans began the offseason over $60 million over the cap limit, but now it has a few million dollars to spare.

Still, some voices around football don't agree with all the moves made by the Saints over the last few months.

Alex Kay of Bleacher Report recently listed the Saints' three-year, $51 million signing of Chase Young as the worst contract given out this offseason.

"The New Orleans Saints are making some head-scratching decisions this offseason," Kay wrote. "One of their biggest blunders is committing more than $50 million to Chase Young over the next three years.

"While the 25-year-old hasn't been a poor edge defender, he's no longer the force he was prior to a career-altering knee injury in 2021. He's been rather average since signing with the Saints last offseason, collecting 5.5 sacks and 31 tackles—including eight for a loss—while playing 742 defensive snaps in 2024."

In the Saints' defense, Young is still 25 years old. He has plenty of time to continue to find his footing in the NFL, though he may never live up to his draft expectations because of the aforementioned knee injury.

Either way, this signing shouldn't be seen as a head scratching decision. If Young is able to tally 15 to 20 sacks over the course of his three-year deal, it would be hard to argue that it wasn't worth it for the Saints.

But if his play takes any sort of step backward, Kay will be proved correct in his criticism of this deal.

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