Saints LB Demario Davis Intends To Play Year 15

Davis is just wrapping up his 14th year in the league and his eighth in New Orleans. Since joining the Saints — to be more accurate, since his 2017 campaign that led to him signing with the Saints — Davis has routinely ranked amongst the NFL’s best middle linebackers. Per Pro Football Focus (subscription required), he ranked as the 17th-best player at his position in 2017 and didn’t rank any lower than that until last year, when he graded out as the 19th-best linebacker in the league. He continued to excel in 2025 and currently ranks as the NFL’s sixth-best linebacker, in the eyes of PFF.

Davis has also been somewhat of an ironman in the NFL, never missing more than one game in any season of his career. As a third-round rookie out of Arkansas State, Davis only made three starts but played in every game of his first season in the league. Since then, out of a possible 212 games, Davis has been a starter in 209 and played in 210. Davis credited a lot of new developments in the culture surrounding the game of football for his ability to play this long and remain this healthy in his NFL career.

More important to him than his strict availability, as shown by his consistent PFF grades, is his continued ability to play at a high level. Because he was able to meet benchmarks he set for himself — which were just his prior year stats — he was able to decide that he would play another year and said it was probably the earliest point in a season in recent years that he’s known he wanted to continue to play.

“I’m not trying to plateau. I’m not trying to break even. I’m not trying to peak,” he told reporters today, per ESPN’s Katherine Terrell. “I’m just trying to get better, and like, when I’m getting better, it’s like an indicator that I’m on the right track. And so, because I’ve done that, I think that gives me a lot of confidence that I’m looking forward to returning.”

As for whether or not he will still be wearing a Saints uniform in Year 15, Davis said he knows there’s a time and place for the business aspect of things. The five-time All-Pro, who turns 37 in 10 days, is set to become a free agent in the offseason.

“I don’t think in terms of the business element before the business element presents itself,” Davis said. “We’re in a game where contracts do matter, but that’s such a small part of your career. That happens in a little small window in the offseason once every other year or every couple of years. And when that time gets here, man, in 14 years, that’s always worked itself out.”

He continued, “I’ve never had to really negotiate a contract. They’ve always negotiated themselves. And so, when that time gets here, that’s like very low concern meter right now. What I’m focused on is finishing the season strong, kind of putting an exclamation point on what has been an individual and a collective good season for the defense and the team.”

He ended his comments by noting “good reason for optimism” for the Saints’ future, as rookie quarterback Tyler Shough aims to end the season on a five-game winning streak. He may see a strong Year 2 for the young passer coming, but Year 15 will be his focus after this week.