Saints CB Alontae Taylor's Free Agency Already Heating Up

The Saints can't afford to lose Alontae Taylor in free agency without putting up a fight...

Tennessee Titans wide receiver Mason Kinsey (12) catches a pass underneath New Orleans Saints cornerback Alontae Taylor (1) during the third quarter at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tenn., Sunday, Dec. 28, 2025. | Andrew Nelles / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The New Orleans Saints came into last season with some very low expectations. They had lost Derek Carr to retirement and didn't have time to replace him with a high quality option. This caused the Saints to go into the season with a quarterback battle between Spencer Rattler, rookie Tyler Shough, and Jake Haener.

After Rattler won the battle initially, the Saints turned to Shough around the midway point and he helped them in a huge way. The Saints won more than a handful of games down the stretch, which seemed to pour some life back in the franchise.

As a result, they're bound to be more aggressive this offseason. The Saints have a quarterback who can help them win games. They have some talent around him. Now they need to hit big in the NFL draft and retain their top players, like Alontae Taylor, in free agency.

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Joe Smith of Touchdown Wire recently spoke on Taylor's free agency and went as far as to say he might be the best cornerback in this year's free agency class.

Saints need to prioritize Alontae Taylor in free agency

Dec 28, 2025; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; New Orleans Saints cornerback Alontae Taylor (1) hits Tennessee Titans quarterback Cameron Ward (1) as he throws a pass during the second half at Nissan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images | Steve Roberts-Imagn Images

"Taylor has spent four years in the NFL and has started 53 games during his career – all with the Saints," Smith wrote. "He has 293 tackles, 52 pass deflections, seven sacks, and four interceptions over the course of his career, and ESPN posits that Taylor may be the best cornerback potentially available on this year's free agent market."

Taylor was the Saints best cornerback last season. He made a lot of big plays for New Orleans over the course of his time with the team. As time went on, he became the leader of the secondary that looked much improved as the season went on.

Considering he plays a high-value position, there are bound to be more than a handful of teams going after him in free agency. Almost any team in football is looking to improve its cornerback room. The Saints can't afford to lose him, so they might be forced to open their checkbooks to give the star what he wants to stay with the team long term.

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