Saints Positioned to Make Noise as Free Agency Nears

The New Orleans Saints have a big few weeks ahead.

In the coming days, we should hear more as the Saints prepare for the new league year. With five days to go until the March 9th free agency kick off, the Saints are currently $11 million over the salary cap, per Over The Cap. New Orleans will need to get into compliance in the coming days, which will not be difficult. It will be more of a formality.

Then, free agency will begin on March 9 and New Orleans should have plenty of opportunities to add more firepower. On Wednesday, ESPN shared a big column highlighting plenty of questions around the league ahead of free agency. One was whether the Saints would "commit to the rebuild" or walk a "tightrope" with the salary cap. ESPN's Katherine Terrell suggested that the Saints will have space to target "key free agents" even with Cameron Jordan, Taysom Hill and Demario Davis heading to free agency.

The Saints have a big offseason ahead

Jan 4, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; New Orleans Saints quarterback Tyler Shough (6) in action against the Atlanta Falcons in the third quarter at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

"Should we expect more cap tightrope walking from the Saints' front office, or will New Orleans finally commit to the rebuild? The Saints' cap situation will be in better shape this year following quarterback Derek Carr's retirement last year, although they'll still have to account for $65 million in dead money due to various contracts," Terrell wrote. "New Orleans will be able to get under the salary cap fairly easily, but they'll have some big decisions to make about pending free agents such as Demario Davis, Taysom Hill and Cameron Jordan. They should still have the ability to sign some key free agents after addressing those veterans."

Arguably, there's no reason to "commit to the rebuild" at this point. Last offseason would've been the time to do so. New Orleans didn't and was rewarded for it. The 2025 draft class was full of home runs, including Tyler Shough. The young signal-caller played in the second half of the season and already looked like an above-average quarterback in the league.

He has just nine starts under his belt, so obviously a small sample size. But the NFC South is weak. There wasn't a team that finished above .500 in 2025. The Saints went 6-11, just two games off the top spot in the division, despite starting 1-7 before turning the job over to Shough. The Saints already can contend for the top spot in the division as is. If the Saints add a few pieces this offseason, they could be even better.

The idea of a "rebuild" has sailed. New Orleans needs to maximize this roster right now with Shough on his rookie deal.