What are the expectations for Foster Moreau going into 2023? Many New Orleans Saints fans didn’t expect to see him so soon after being diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma, but Moreau completed treatment in the spring, signed his contract, and has already hit the practice field working to get back in rhythm with the same quarterback he’s always caught passes from: Derek Carr, his former Las Vegas Raiders teammate.
Moreau’s coming of his best season as a pro with 33 receptions for 420 yards and a pair of touchdown catches, having converted a career-high 24 first downs and played 67.6% of their offensive snaps. Here are the milestones he’ll be chasing with the Saints in 2023, earning a $250,000 performance bonus for triggering each incentive, per The 33rd Team’s Ari Meirov:
- 65% of snaps AND 40 or more receptions
- 75% of snaps AND 40 or more receptions
- 50 or more receptions
- 60 or more receptions
Those aren’t low numbers to chase, but they’re not unrealistic, either. For comparison, Juwan Johnson led the Saints’ tight ends last year with 42 receptions while playing 61.6% of their snaps. They’re going to be a more pass-happy offense with a quarterback Dennis Allen and Pete Carmichael Jr. trust under center, and Carr is known for favoring his tight ends as receivers.
Moreau received a $3.5 million signing bonus from the Saints earlier in May as well as a $1.1 million base salary (meaning his salary cap hit is set at just $1.8 million), so he could potentially earn as much as $5.6 million this season by maxing out those incentives. If he catches 60 or more passes while playing 75% or more of the Saints’ snaps on offense, he and the team will be thrilled to hand him a $1 million bonus.
That’s just easier said than done. Here’s some added context: last season, 12 different NFL tight ends caught 40 or more passes while playing 65% or more of their team’s offensive snaps, and only eight of them met the threshold for playing 75% or more of their team’s snaps on offense. They didn’t meet the snaps threshold, but 16 tight ends had 50 or more receptions, and less than half of them caught 60 or more passes:
- Travis Kelce (110)
- T.J. Hockenson (86)
- Mark Andrews and Evan Engram (73)
- Tyler Higbee (72)
- Pat Freiermuth (63)
- George Kittle (60)
Out of that final group, a select four also met the qualifications for snaps percentage: Kelce, Engram, Higbee, and Kittle. So the Saints are challenging Moreau not just to take another step forward as a receiver, but to continue to help the offense as their primary blocking tight end, too. With Johnson entrenched as a big-play threat and their top pass-catching option at tight end, he’ll have his work cut out for him.
But it’ll be tough to bet against Moreau after seeing him overcome so much adversity to get here in the first place. Having an established connection with Carr certainly helps his case.
