New Orleans Saints defensive end Cameron Jordan will wear black and gold a while longer. Adam Schefter of ESPN reported that Jordan reached an agreement with the Saints on a three-year contract extension through the 2023 season. Jordan was already under contract for the next two years, so the Saints prioritized getting this done early.
Jordan, who turns 30 in July, already ranks among team leaders in career sacks (71.5) and is poised to take the No. 2 spot all-time behind Pro Football Hall of Famer Rickey Jackson after this season (115). He’s been a defensive centerpiece for the team since being selected in the first round of the 2011 NFL Draft out of Cal.
This is a tremendous move by the Saints to take advantage of their extra salary cap space (the NFL Players Association reported them as having a little over $7.2 million in spending room Tuesday morning) and work out a deal with one of their best players.
Schefter reported that Jordan’s extension runs for three years, $52.5 million (worth up to $55.5 million in performance-based bonuses) and features $42 million in guaranteed money. Taken together with the two years remaining on his contract, that means Jordan is essentially going to earn $74.5 million over the next five years, an average of $14.9 million per year. That’s a bargain compared to what other top pass rushers are getting on the free agent market and suggests Jordan took something of a hometown discount to remain with the Saints.
How this impacts Jordan’s 2019 salary cap figure (already north of $14 million) remains to be seen, but the Saints may have restructured his cap hit to create more room for another move. Check back for updates.
