How Saints utilized rare clause to get under 2026 salary cap

Katherine TerrellMar 8, 2026, 06:00 AM ET

CloseKatherine Terrell came back to ESPN to cover the New Orleans Saints in the summer of 2022. She left the company in 2019 after joining in 2016 to cover the Cincinnati Bengals. Katherine is a graduate of LSU and a Baton Rouge, Louisiana, native, and she has covered the NFL since 2013.

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NEW ORLEANS — The Saints got under the 2026 NFL salary cap with a little creativity last week.

The Saints cleared room to get under the league’s $301.2 million cap thanks to several contract restructures, which have been standard procedure for the franchise for more than a decade. But this year, the Saints have utilized a little-known clause with Alvin Kamara’s contract to free up space while providing flexibility if they part ways with the running back this year.

Ahead of the NFL’s legal tampering window opening at noon ET on Monday, the Saints are at least $11 million under the salary cap. That accounts for the possibility of $48 million in dead money if the contracts of Demario Davis, Cameron Jordan, Taysom Hill and Foster Moreau automatically void Wednesday.

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The Saints didn’t have to do as much work as last year, when they cleared up $60 million through restructures, pay cuts and releases. That allowed them to re-sign defensive end Chase Young and tight end Juwan Johnson, and also add players such as Justin Reid.

It’s also a big turnaround from five years ago, when the Saints had to clear $100 million in room to get compliant after the 2021 salary cap dropped, in part because of ramifications after the COVID-19 pandemic.

What will the Saints be looking for this year in free agency? A left guard tops the list after several years of signing free agents such as Lucas Patrick and Dillon Radunz to one-year deals. And they might be saying goodbye to nickel cornerback Alontae Taylor, who posted a thank you to the city on his X account Friday.

And they’ll also be potentially preparing for a roster without key veterans such as Davis and Jordan — depending on how the next few days play out.

Entering the final weekend before free agency, the Saints had two restructures and Kamara’s reworked contract processed, with more moves to come.

They will also carry over $10.2 million from the 2025 season to potentially spend.

Here’s how the Saints have already gotten salary cap compliant, and what other moves they can make before the new league year begins Wednesday at 4 p.m. ET.

Moves Saints have made official

Reworked Kamara’s contract

The Saints reworked Kamara’s contract in a different way than their typical restructures.

The NFL collective bargaining agreement has a provision for contracts, known as the 50% rule, that says the player’s salary and bonuses cannot be less than the remaining prorated portion of the signing bonus for that year. A restructure of Kamara’s contract would have added $2.04 million to each year — more than the $1.35 million base salary allocated for the 2027 contract year.

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The Saints took the sum of the difference between Kamara’s 2026 salary and his 2027 salary (a total of $10.55 million) and turned that into an optional signing bonus to spread out the cap hit over the remaining portion of the contract.

The Saints used this tactic with defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins in 2020, when they restructured his contract, allowing them to spread out a portion of his fifth-year option salary over several years.

Kamara’s previous cap number of $18.63 million was one of the highest on the team. He’ll turn 31 on July 25 and has finished the past two seasons unable to play because of injuries. That makes his long-term future uncertain, with the team possibly looking to get younger and spend less at this position.

Previous salary cap number: $18.63 millionNew cap number: $10.51 millionSavings: $8.12 million

Restructured Juwan Johnson’s contract

The Saints converted $7.85 million of Johnson’s $9 million base salary into a signing bonus. Johnson’s contract was a standard restructure that will push future salary into the 2030 season. His contract still automatically voids at the end of the 2027 league year.

Previous salary cap number: $13.9 millionNew cap number: $7.61 millionSavings: $6.29 million

Restructured Justin Reid’s contract

The Saints converted $7.95 million of Reid’s $9.25 million base salary into a signing bonus. Reid’s contract was a standard restructure that will push future salary into the next five seasons. His contract still automatically voids at the end of the 2027 league year.

Previous salary cap number: $11.55 millionNew cap number: $5.19 millionSavings: $6.36 million

Moves Saints can still make

Restructure DE Chase Young’s contract

The Saints can restructure Young’s contract by converting most of his base salary into a signing bonus. They’ll do this by reducing his $14.83 million 2026 base salary to the league minimum of $1.215 million for a six-year veteran and spread that over five years.

Previous salary cap number: $20.5 millionNew cap number: $9.61 millionSavings: $10.892 million

Restructure DE Carl Granderson’s contract

The Saints can convert Granderson’s $10.75 million base salary into a signing bonus, add a void year and spread the cap hit over five years. They can also convert his $2 million roster bonus into a signing bonus, splitting it into a $500,000 signing bonus over those five years.

Previous salary cap number: $18.06 millionNew cap number: $8.83 millionSavings: $9.2 million

Restructure C Erik McCoy’s contract

McCoy has had two significant injuries during the past two seasons and has played a full season only once out of the past five years. That could give the Saints pause about a restructure, which will make McCoy’s future cap hits higher. However, they still have faith in McCoy, 28, as their starting center, so it’s unlikely to be a concern if they need to free space.

Restructuring his $10 million base salary and $500,000 roster bonus, and adding a void year would free up $7.36 million in space.

Previous salary cap number: $17.68 millionNew cap number: $10.32 millionSavings: $7.36 million

Restructure G Cesar Ruiz’s contract

The Saints’ 2020 first-round pick has two years left on the extension he signed in 2023 and currently counts $14.2 million against the 2026 salary cap. The Saints already have $9.5 tied up in future dead money if he is released before the 2027 season.

Whether they restructure his contract likely depends on if they view him as a long-term option. But they could add a void year and push money into the future with a restructure.

Previous salary cap number: $14.19 millionNew cap number: $7.57 millionSavings: $6.63 million

Restructure LB Pete Werner’s contract

Werner has two years remaining on his contract from the three-year extension he signed in 2024. A full restructure would open $4 million against the cap in 2026.

Previous salary cap number: $7.96 millionNew cap number: $3.94 millionSavings: $4.028 million

Restructure DT Davon Godchaux’s contract

The Saints acquired Godchaux in a trade in 2025, and he has one year remaining on his deal, with three void years already in place. If the Saints don’t touch his contract, he’ll count only $1.9 million against the cap if his deal automatically voids at the end of the 2026 league year.

If they do a full restructure, they’ll save $4 million against the cap.

Previous salary cap number: $7.13 millionNew cap number: $3.02 millionSavings: $4.12 million

Release CB Isaac Yiadom

Yiadom returned to the Saints as a free agent last spring with the idea that he’d be a starter. But the emergence of rookie Quincy Riley pushed him into a backup role. Yiadom has a 2026 cap number of $3.48 million.

However, because $1.5 million of his 2026 base salary is guaranteed, the Saints will save only $575,000 against the salary cap by releasing him. The Saints would save $1.275 million if he is designated as a post-June 1 cut.

Previous salary cap number: $3.75 millionNew cap number: $2.9 million (dead money)Savings: $575,000 / $1.275 million

Add a void year to WR Chris Olave’s fifth-year option

The Saints have been in talks with Olave about a possible extension since last fall, but as of now, he’ll be playing on his fifth-year option of $15.49 million. The Saints could lower that cap number by restructuring his base salary and adding void years, which is a tactic they have used with players such as Marcus Davenport and Marshon Lattimore.

If the Saints do that, they could add four void years to spread out the cap hit and lower his 2026 salary number significantly. However, if they fail to reach an extension and he leaves in free agency, they’ll have to account for the remaining portion of that converted signing bonus next year.

Previous salary cap number: $15.493 millionNew salary cap number: $4.07 millionSavings: $11.4 million

Address the contracts of Davis, Jordan, Moreau and Hill

The Saints have four veterans with contracts set to void Wednesday, a scenario that would make them immediate free agents. The automatic void functions the same way as a release, meaning all four veterans will count against the salary cap even if they aren’t on the roster. This also applies if Hill retires after Wednesday’s deadline.

This can be avoided by signing each player to a new deal before the league year begins. However, this move for all four already seems unlikely. Sources told ESPN’s Adam Schefter that Jordan will not receive a new deal before the deadline, meaning the Saints will be accounting for at least one dead money hit out of the four free agents.

Jordan’s cap hit: $18.76 millionHill’s cap hit: $13.72 millionDavis’ cap hit: $14.29 millionMoreau’s cap hit: $1.4 millionTotal dead money hits: $48 million

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