Credit where it’s due: The New Orleans Saints aren’t ranked last in unspent salary cap space carried over into 2025. Hang the banner and hand the microphone to Mickey Loomis so he can address the crowd.
Jokes aside, the Saints are going to need every penny they can get their mitts on to reach cap compliance this offseason. NFL Players Association records revealed that the Saints are rolling over $2,929,173 from their 2024 books and into the new league year. The experts at Over The Cap rank that eighth-lowest around the league, which, yes — is better than last.
Of the seven teams ranked lower than the Saints, four made the playoffs this season (the Los Angeles Rams, Baltimore Ravens, Denver Broncos, and Buffalo Bills). Three others maxed out their books but are picking ahead of New Orleans in the 2025 draft after unsuccessful seasons. That includes the New York Giants and Jets, as well as the NFC South-rival Carolina Panthers.
Now, $2.9 million may look like small potatoes when the salary cap itself is projected to hit $270 million (or more) this spring. But the Saints need all the help they can get. They’re already spending $48.4 million on players not on their roster for 2025 between Marshon Lattimore, Michael Thomas, and Jameis Winston. That dead money figure leads the league without including another $11.1 million that will come from processing Ryan Ramczyk’s retirement in June.
So when you count the $278.3 million going towards the players currently on the team, that puts New Orleans in the red by at least $50 million. OTC’s estimate puts the Saints over the limit by $51.3 million if you want to be more precise. Let’s see how they get in the clear this time. Rolling over that unspent cap space from 2024 is just the start.
