Look Ahead: 33 Saints players are entering contract years in 2023
It’s been a hectic two weeks for the New Orleans Saints in free agency, and it sure looks like we’re in for more of the same this time next year. At least 33 players are entering the final year of their contracts with the Saints in 2023. For many players, that’s going to be motivation to play their best football in hopes of earning an extension.
Many of these 2024 free agents were just signed to one-year deals in recent days and weeks, and they’ll be up for similar offers again. Others are former Saints draft picks or free agent acquisitions hoping to close out their career in black and gold. It shouldn’t shock anyone if a couple of players sign extensions before the 2023 season kicks off. It’ll also be easy for the Saints to retain many of these pending free agents thanks to their restricted or exclusive rights status.
That’s enough table-setting. Let’s run through the list of players competing for a contract-year pay raise, with help from Over the Cap:
DE Cameron Jordan
Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports
WR Michael Thomas
AP Photo/Gerald Herbert
LG Andrus Peat
Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
QB Jameis Winston
Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports
RG Cesar Ruiz
Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
WR Tre'Quan Smith
Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports
DE Carl Granderson
Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports
K Wil Lutz
Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports
P Blake Gillikin
Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
CB Lonnie Johnson Jr.
Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
LB Zack Baun
AP Photo/Jonathan Bachman
LS Zach Wood
AP Photo/Danny Karnik
LB Ty Summers
Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images
LB Ryan Connelly
Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
S Ugo Amadi
AP Photo/John Froschauer
TE Adam Trautman
Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports
QB Jake Luton
Douglas DeFelice-USA TODAY Sports
RT Storm Norton
Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports
WR Keith Kirkwood
Scott Galvin-USA TODAY Sports
TE Miller Forristall
Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports
DE Jabari Zuniga
Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
OG Calvin Throckmorton
Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
WR Kirk Merritt
Sean Gardner/Getty Images
FB Adam Prentice
Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports
CB Troy Pride Jr.
AP Photo/Gerry Broome
RB Derrick Gore
Katie Stratman-USA TODAY Sports
RB Eno Benjamin
Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports
WR Rashid Shaheed
Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
WR Kawaan Baker
Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports
RG Koda Martin
Harry How/Getty Images
CB Vincent Gray
AP Photo/Butch Dill
CB Isaac Yiadom
Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports
S Johnathan Abram
Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports
