Saints Star Projected For $33M Deal; Stay Or Go?

The New Orleans Saints are going to have a decision to make this offseason when it comes to cornerback Alontae Taylor.

The 27-year-old has spent the last four seasons with the Saints after being selected in the fifth round of the 2022 National Football League Draft. Taylor has been a consistent starter for the team over the last four seasons, but now is heading to free agency. In 2025, he played in all 17 games for the franchise, including 16 starts. Overall, he had two interceptions, 11 passes defended, two sacks, three quarterback hits, and 83 total tackles.

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With Taylor heading to the open market, should the Saints retain him? Let's examine.

Should the Saints keep Alontae Taylor?

Dec 21, 2025; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Saints cornerback Alontae Taylor (1) reacts to sacking New York Jets quarterback Brady Cook (4) during the second half at Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images | Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

Stay
Taylor is just 27 years old. The Saints' defense turned it on in the second half of the season and finished ninth in the league in total defense allowed. The Saints allowed just 299.8 total yards per game, just behind the New England Patriots. That's just 18 yards per game fewer than the No. 1-ranked Houston Texans (277.2 yards per game). Taylor was a big reason for this. As shown above, he had a lot of production. For a team that has a lot of young guys in the secondary, Taylor was a veteran as well. The Saints showed down the stretch that they can have success with this defense. If the team loses a cornerback in general, there isn't much depth. That's another reason why the team needs to invest in Taylor.

Go
There aren't many reasons for the Saints not bring Taylor back. He has spent four seasons in town, made it clear it would "hurt" to leave, and there aren't many corners available that are better than him. If you lose Taylor, it'll be hard to go better. For Taylor, the biggest reason for pause will be the price tag. Spotrac currently has his projected market value to be just over $33 million over three years. With salary cap questions, a deal in that range may be a bit steep, but the club has figured it out in the past, like last offseason with Chase Young. Also, Taylor allowed six touchdowns in coverage on 94 targets. That's a bit much, but again, there aren't going to be many better options.

Pick
The Saints should do everything possible to make sure that Taylor stays in part because New Orleans looks ready to compete as soon as 2026.

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