Saints no longer rank worst in the NFL in 2021 salary cap space

It’s taken a whirlwind to get here, but the New Orleans Saints don’t rank No. 32 anymore. Over The Cap’s Jason Fitzgerald ranks them second-worst in the NFL in negative cap space, finally ceding the last spot to the Los Angeles Rams. Including the accounting from the Matthew Stafford-for-Jared Goff trade, the Rams are now in the red by $33.1 million. And the Saints are ahead of them by just $31.9 million.

That’s progress, baby. It’s been difficult at times to achieve, between the release of wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders and a contract restructure with guard Andrus Peat, among other moves, but these are the necessary sacrifices New Orleans must make in light of the depressed salary cap. Unexpected revenue losses due to the COVID-19 pandemic have forced them to make tough choices that could have otherwise been avoided.

So it’s kind of reassuring to know they aren’t alone. They don’t even have it as bad as some of their competition. NFC rivals including the Philadelphia Eagles ($26.8 million), Chicago Bears ($17.6 million), Atlanta Falcons ($14.2 million), and Green Bay Packers ($9.7 million) all have their own hurdles to clear before reaching cap compliance. Sure, the Saints have problems to address. But they’ve won more games over the last four years than all of those opponents, and they’re making moves to keep their core together for life after Drew Brees.