Saints' Alontae Taylor May Have Priced Himself Out of New Orleans

The New Orleans Saints have a big offseason ahead.

There's more optimism around the franchise than there has been over the last few years. With Tyler Shough firmly planted as the team's starting quarterback, the fanbase has hope. So much so that general manager Mickey Loomis acknowledged that he can feel the optimism in the fanbase when he spoke to the media after the 2025 season ended.

"Yeah, I'd probably be in a coma if I didn't recognize that there is optimism," Loomis said. "And that's exciting. Look, I want our fans to feel optimistic and have a vision for our team. So, yes, I do feel it. I am excited about it the same way that I'm excited about our team."

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The vibes are high, but the team is going to have to make some financial decisions right away. As of right now, the Saints are just over $6 million over the salary cap, per Over The Cap. New Orleans needs to get into cap compliance before the new league year and then there will be holes to fill. One guy to watch who very well could end up getting priced out of New Orleans is cornerback Alontae Taylor.

The Saints have to figure out the right price tag

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

The 27-year-old spent his four seasons in the NFL in New Orleans after being selected with the No. 49 overall pick in the second round of the 2022 National Football League Draft. Now, Spotrac has his projected market value at just over $33 million over three seasons.

Last arguably is on the low side. Taylor very well could be the top cornerback heading to the open market, which would open the door for competition CBS Sports has him ranked as the No. 14 overall pending free agent and top pending free agent corner. ESPN has Taylor ranked as the No. 11 overall pending free agent and the top pending free agent corner. In comparison, Byron Murphy, Charvarius Ward and Carlton Davis all got $54 million deals last offseason.

Cornerback isn't the Saints' only hole to fill this offseason. The Saints will need to add multiple offensive playmakers, preferably at least one receiver and running back. The Saints also need to figure out if they're going to keep Cameron Jordan, Demario Davis and Taysom Hill around. If not, the Saints will need to replace them. Fortunately, Shough is on a rookie deal, but there already is already a lot of financial decisions to make and if the competition for Taylor, he very well could price himself out of town. If he lands a deal in the projected $33 million range, that would be worth it. If he gets closer to the top corners from last offseason, that would arguably be too much.

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