The 2024 free agency period is nearly upon us. The new league year starts March 13, and the legal tampering period begins just two days earlier. Here’s a tracker of all the signings, rumors, news, and more coming out of New Orleans.
New Orleans Saints Free Agency News and Rumors
The Saints have been at the center of the cap space debate for the last few years. As of March 7, the Saints are $17.29 million over the cap and need to clear more space to get above the cap.
Re-Sign Tyrann Mathieu
One of the first major moves that the Saints made was evaluating their own roster and bringing back a key piece. Tyrann Mathieu has been with the Saints since 2022 after signing a three-year $28.3 million deal. With just one year left on his deal, featuring a $12 million cap hit, the Saints opted to bring him back on an extended contract.
The deal is for two years and $13 million, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. At 31 years old, Mathieu has been in the NFL for 11 seasons. He has played in 163 games, starting 154 of them, and has compiled 776 tackles, 11 sacks, 33 interceptions, and four touchdowns. He’s a three-time Pro Bowler and two-time first-team All-Pro.
Cutting Michael Thomas
One of the longer-tenured Saints is wide receiver Michael Thomas, who’s been with the team since 2016. According to Jeff Duncan of Nola.com, the Saints intend to release Thomas later this week.
Thomas signed a new deal in 2023 that left him under contract until 2024. With a cap hit of $12.4 million in 2024 at 31 years old, he just costs too much.
Thomas, a former second-round pick, has played in 83 games and caught 565 passes for 6,569 yards and 36 touchdowns. After his record-setting 2019 season, Thomas has barely seen the field since, missing 2021 entirely and playing just 20 games in 2020, 2022, and 2023 combined.
Sign Zander Horvath
The next move the Saints made was adding fullback Zander Horvath to the roster on Thursday afternoon. Horvath was released by the Los Angeles Chargers at the end of last preseason and was on the Chargers and Pittsburgh Steelers’ practice squads throughout the year. He had a free agent visit with the Saints before signing.
KEEP READING: Salary Cap Space by Team
Horvath was taken in the seventh round of the 2022 NFL Draft. He’s seen action in 15 games, recording five receptions for eight yards and two touchdowns as well as four runs for eight yards and no scores.
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