A former New Orleans Saints first round draft pick earned his payday: defensive back Kenny Vaccaro agreed to a four-year, $26 million contract extension with the Tennessee Titans, as first reported by Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. The deal comes with $11.5 million in guarantees, and is a big reward for the Saints’ castoff.
Vaccaro experienced highs and lows in New Orleans, making plays but struggling to stay on the field between injuries and a brief suspension. He never matched the highlight-riddled rookie season but managed to turn it around after joining the Titans on a one-year contract. The safety was one of the Titans’ core defenders in 2018, recording 747 snaps played and racking up 58 tackles (41 solo, three for loss of yardage) in 13 games. It’s good to see him succeed after his hard work, even if it didn’t happen in New Orleans.
As for the Saints, they go into free agency with their situation at safety largely figured out. Vonn Bell an Marcus Williams will continue to start, while special teams ace and backup Chris Banjo pushes them for more playing time after receiving his own contract extension. It took some time, but everyone involved here — the Saints, the Titans, and Vaccaro — ended up with some sort of victory.
