Dec 7, 2025; Tampa, Florida, USA; New Orleans Saints linebacker Demario Davis (56) reacts after a tackle during the second quarter against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images

Saints Can't Ignore New Demario Davis Contract Projection

Originally posted on New Orleans Saints on SI
By Patrick McAvoy | Last updated Feb 18, 2026 1:10 PM ET

The New Orleans Saints are going to have opportunities to open up salary cap space ahead of what should be a big offseason.

New Orleans has momentum. The Saints went 6-11 in 2025, but finished the campaign going 5-4 across their final nine games of the season after inserting Tyler Shough into the starting lineup. Now, the team knows what it has in Shough and he has a whole offseason to prepare as the team's starting quarterback. Unlike last offseason, New Orleans knows who the starting quarterback is without a long competition. New Orleans knows what it has and will be able to build around him this offseason.

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The Saints' priorities on offense should be a wide receiver, a running back and a guard. But that's not all. The Saints arguably should find a way to retain their three longtime stars, who are pending free agents, in Demario Davis, Taysom Hill and Cameron Jordan. With the Saints positioned to make some noise in 2026, keeping these three around would go a long way. There are a lot of young guys on this team. Having three guys who can still contribute, and also lead, will be important.

Davis remains one of the better linebackers in football overall. He racked up a career high 143 total tackles in 2025 and The Athletic is projecting him to land a deal in the neighborhood of $9 million acros one season.

The Saints need to get a deal done

"Contract projection: 1 year, $9 million," The Athletic shared. "Age: 37 Height: 6-2 Weight: 248. Entering his age-37 season, Davis remains one of the better off-ball linebackers in the league. He is a fluid mover in coverage, and he is smart as a zone dropper. Davis is an elite run defender. He ranked second among off-ball linebackers last season in run tackles for a loss and no gain."

That price tag should be of no trouble to New Orleans. John Sigler of Saints Wire pointed out that the Saints can create as much as $64 million or even $80.8 million in salary cap space.

There are pathways for the Saints to free up cash and some should be directed to Davis, who has been a cornerstone piece for this franchise for years.

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This article first appeared on New Orleans Saints on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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