Andrus Peat might be playing for a team besides the New Orleans Saints in 2024, ending his nine-year run with the team that drafted him. The Saints were unable to come to an agreement on a contract extension with Peat prior to Wednesday’s deadline, which means they’re paying $13,638,000 in dead money for him to at least explore the market before making a decision.
One silver lining: This won’t impact the team’s salary cap situation or their projected cap space figure (more than $15 million). Peat’s cap hit was already factored into those calculations. It could have been reduced with an extension, but it won’t climb higher in his absence now that his contract has voided. He also won’t count into the compensatory pick formula in the 2025 NFL draft.
Peat was on the outs with the Saints this time last year. He was forced to accept a pay cut in the spring and demoted to the third-string offensive line over the summer. When the team was shorthanded and frustrated with Trevor Penning’s too-slow improvement at left tackle, they moved Peat back to his college position for the first time in years.
And he thrived there, only allowing two sacks on more than 400 snaps in pass protection. Now he’s 30 and facing his last great opportunity to cash in on a lucrative NFL contract. The Saints could have extended Peat sooner to avoid paying out that $13.6 million left over from past restructures, but he likely wanted to test the market before agreeing to a new deal.
It’s still possible Peat returns to close out his career with New Orleans. A new contract with the Saints wouldn’t impact that dead-money charge against the salary cap, but it would ensure the team is getting something for paying him anyway. Age-30-and-over starters with Peat’s versatility as an inside-out lineman who can play both guard and tackle aren’t being paid as much as their younger peers, but there are enough offensive lines in poor shape around the league to where he should receive some offers as a free agent.
