This list is going to look very different in just a few months — maybe even weeks, depending on how quickly the New Orleans Saints want to get to business. Like every other team, they must reach salary cap compliance by the start of the NFL’s new fiscal year (on March 16, for those curious). But unlike any other team, they’ve got to consolidate more than $61 million to get under the 2022 spending limit.
Thankfully, that won’t be nearly as challenging as it was last offseason, when New Orleans had a $101 million hurdle to overcome. We’ve already explored how they can get under the cap without cutting any players or even touching two of their biggest contracts. But if the Saints have shown us anything, it’s to anticipate the unexpected. They’ll surprise us one way or another.
For now, though, let’s look at the 29 Saints players set to count more than $1 million against the cap. Some of these names are also listed among the top free agents of 2022; because of their previous contracts’ structure, players like Terron Armstead, Jameis Winston, and Tre’Quan Smith (not listed, his cap hit stands at $954,267) will leave some dead money behind if they sign elsewhere. Let’s dig in:
