Saints Strike Gold With $14 Million Ryan Wright Deal

The New Orleans Saints made a phenomenal move bringing in Ryan Wright.

Oct 5, 2025; Tottenham, United Kingdom; Minnesota Vikings kicker Will Reichard (16) is congratulated by punter Ryan Wright (17) after kicking a point after attempt against the Cleveland Browns during the first quarter of an NFL International Series game at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The first day of free agency was a wild ride for the New Orleans Saints.

On the negative side, both Demario Davis and Alontae Taylor signed elsewhere. Davis reportedly agreed to terms on a deal to return to the New York Jets, which is who drafted him. Taylor reportedly agreed to terms on a deal to join the Tennessee Titans. On the bright side, the Saints reportedly agreed to terms on deals to bring running back Travis Etienne Jr. and guard David Edwards to town. Those were the two biggest reported deals of the day for New Orleans on Monday. A long-term solution at running back and a big-time guard to bolster the offensive line.

But that's not all. One move that went under-the-radar during all of the chaos was the fact that the Saints reportedly agreed to terms on a four-year, $14 million deal with 25-year-old punter Ryan Wright, per ESPN's Adam Schefter.

Punter Alert

Jan 13, 2025; Glendale, AZ, USA; Minnesota Vikings punter Ryan Wright (17) against the Los Angeles Rams during an NFC wild card game at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

"Another big punter deal: Former Vikings punter Ryan Wright is signing a four-year, $14 million deal that includes $8 million guaranteed with the Saints, per source," Schefter wrote.

This deal may not sound like much, but it's positive for the Saints' special teams. Wright earned an 81.3 grade from Pro Football Focus in 2025, which was good for sixth among 32 qualifying punters. In comparison, Kai Kroeger earned a 63.9 PFF grade, good for 25th among 32 punters. The punting game is sporadic and is a bit volatile, but if you have a good one, it's a game-changer. A good punter changes how the game is played because if you can give opposing teams bad field position, you give yourself a better chance to keep points off the board.

This is the type of move that may not get the same level of headlines as Etienne or Edwards, but it's a great move for New Orleans. Arguably, this is the Saints striking gold at an important position. Clearly, the Saints like him too, or else they would not have handed him that type of cash. But the Saints land one of the best punters in football and have an intriguing kicker on the roster already in Charlie Smyth. It could be a good year for special teams in 2026.