The New Orleans Saints were able to bring back a couple of players on new contracts through free agency, but that doesn’t mean they didn’t overpay for it. Two players that the Saints re-signed were given way too much money, considering their statistics.
It wasn’t surprising to see New Orleans try to keep tight end Juwan Johnson. What was surprising was that they handed him a three-year extension worth $30.75 million with $21 million guaranteed.
Johnson has been with the Saints since entering the league in 2020. He just recently had the best season of his career, with career highs in receptions (50) and receiving yards (548). Combine that with three touchdowns, and the team felt it was enough to warrant this payday.
Fans have been waiting for Johnson to emerge and take that next leap forward for three years now. These are the types of seasons the team has gotten from him in those years. Handing out $30 million to a tight end who has broken 510 receiving yards once in his career is questionable, to say the least.
New Orleans also wanted to retain edge rusher Chase Young. To do so, they dished out a contract extension that’s worth up to $57 million across three years. The 25-year-old pass rusher did appear in all 17 games during 2024, but he had just 5.5 sacks.
On a positive note, Young was seventh in the league for edge rushers with 66 pressures throughout the year. Unfortunately, the Saints don’t benefit from “almost sacks”, which is a term that many Saints fans used to describe Young’s play last year.
Since his first year in 2020 with the Washington Commanders, Young has yet to surpass 5.5 sacks in a single season. After a rookie year with 7.5 sacks, he appeared in just 27 games over the next four seasons. Across those 27 matchups, he had nine total sacks.
New Orleans did get him fully healthy and on a “solid” campaign in 2024, but it’s hardly enough to warrant nearly $60 million.
The Saints need to understand that this group isn’t ready to win a championship in 2025. Despite what it may seem, considering they signed veteran wideout Brandin Cooks earlier in the offseason.
Inking Johnson to a multi-year extension when he probably isn’t in the long-term plans feels unwarranted. On top of that, giving Young a substantial contract for a mediocre at best season isn’t okay. This team has been struggling financially for years now, and it is deals like these that keep them in salary cap hell.
Both players can live up to these contracts, however, you would normally want to see players earn these contracts before being handed them, not the other way around.
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