Here’s a tough cut: ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that the New Orleans Saints are terminating their contract with Emmanuel Sanders, saving $4 million against the salary cap. The wide receiver confirmed the news in a farewell message from his Instagram account.
Sanders signed a two-year deal with the Saints last offseason but struggled to consistently make an impact in the offense, catching 3 or fewer passes in half the games he played; now he’s a free agent after New Orleans explored trading him earlier this week.
The Saints are also expected to release linebacker Kwon Alexander soon, saving another $13.2 million. They’re tens of millions of dollars over this year’s salary cap, which was depressed by NFL revenue losses amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Losing Sanders hurts, but more cap cuts will come as the Saints continue to work towards cap compliance.
So, for now, their 2021 wide receivers corps has Michael Thomas looking to rebound from injury while Tre’Quan Smith enters a contract year, with youngsters like Deonte Harris, Marquez Callaway, Lil’Jordan Humphrey, and Juwan Johnson looking to elbow their way into the rotation.
