The New Orleans Saints worked out an extension with defensive end Cameron Jordan earlier this week, and structured the salary cap accounting in a way that helps the team. Before the extension, Jordan’s salary cap hit was well over $14 million, one of the highest on the team.
Now, Field Yates of ESPN is reporting that Jordan’s extension lessened his salary cap number for the 2019 season, and bumped the Saints up to around $12 million or $12.5 million in spending room. The NFL Players Association public cap report, which has not updated since Jordan’s signing, still lists the Saints with about $7.2 million in space. So a little math suggests Jordan’s 2019 cap hit will sit around $9 million.
As Yates suggests, this puts the Saints in great position to start early on another big-time player’s contract extension: wide receiver Michael Thomas. Thomas has taken further strides in each of his first three seasons, leading the league in receptions (125), setting a new NFL record for single-season catch rate (85-percent), and earning first-team All-Pro recognition last year.
Thomas is a great candidate to reset the wide receiver market. The current leader is Cleveland Browns wideout Odell Beckham Jr., who is playing on a $90 million contract averaging $18 million per season. Thomas will be in position to beat that and aim for $100 million total, and $20 million per season. The question is whether the Saints will balk at that, having never paid a pass-catcher so highly.
