Six Saints heading into 2025 offseason with uncertain futures

METAIRIE, La. — The New Orleans Saints will end their season against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday without the possibility of making the playoffs.

After a tumultuous 5-11 season, which included coach Dennis Allen being fired midseason, many Saints players will face uncertain futures as the 2025 offseason begins and a new coaching regime likely takes over.

That includes right tackle Ryan Ramczyk, who did not play this season because of serious knee injuries, and tight end Taysom Hill, who is 34 and facing rehab from a torn ACL suffered in Week 13. Saints interim coach Darren Rizzi said that Hill’s surgery went well and he’s looking forward to playing again.

“He’s projected to make a full recovery and all that. He’s got a great attitude about playing again and wanting to come back,” Rizzi said.

Here are six Saints — including those who could be inactive on Sunday — who have something to prove going into the offseason.

Interim coach Darren Rizzi

Rizzi said he considered his eight-game stint as his audition for a permanent head coaching position. But Rizzi can finish no better than .500 in this season finale.

The Saints have lost their last three games under Rizzi after initially going 3-1 when he took over in Week 10. Rizzi needs a solid showing in this game more than anyone on the team ahead of what will likely be an extensive coaching search inside and outside the building.

The Buccaneers are playing for the NFC South title on Sunday (1 p.m. ET, Fox). Rizzi said he’s glad their opponent will be playing for something meaningful because he wants the Saints to finish with a challenge.

“We haven’t played well these last couple of weeks, needless to say, so I think the challenge is out there for us to respond to that,” Rizzi said. “There’s a lot of guys that want to go out and have a really good performance for their last game of the year.”

Jordan made it clear last week that he wants to play a 15th season. But despite being under contract through 2025, he understands it’s not a given.

But Jordan, 35, has specified several times that he wants to play defensive end and not the defensive tackle position the team considered moving him to in training camp. According to NFL Next Gen Stats, Jordan played 22.7% of his snaps as an interior lineman.

“I mean if you’re given a role and you’re already bought in for the year, you’ve bought in for the year,” Jordan said. “Now will I sign up for that role again? Jesus no. To be slid at nose tackle where I’ve never had any success at but be told I’m going to have success at? … There will be discussions had this offseason. Clearly there were not discussions had this last offseason. So clearly if it’s not given, I’ll go find it.”

Jordan’s role was diminished to a career-low 10 snaps against the Carolina Panthers in Week 9 and bumped up when former pass rush specialist Brian Young was moved to defensive line coach following Rizzi’s promotion. He has four sacks in the 2024 season.

Jordan will have to prove to the Saints — or another team — that he’s still got another season in him. He will count $20 million against the salary cap in 2025.

Mathieu, 32, is concluding his 12th NFL season. He renegotiated his contract last offseason and is signed through the 2025 season, where he is set to count $11.3 million against the salary cap.

Mathieu confirmed this week that he wants to play in 2025, but he knows everyone will be scrutinized after a season like this.

“I’ve been doing this a long time. I think anytime you have a season like this, everybody is being evaluated,” Mathieu said. “I don’t think nobody can just walk away saying they didn’t have a hand in the way the season played, me included. Four or five weeks ago, I stood in front of the defense and told [them] the whole time I can be better. You take accountability … and just show up to work and realize this is still a blessing.”

In 16 games played, Mathieu has three interceptions and two forced fumbles.

Davis, who will turn 36 on Jan. 11, has been one of the most consistently available players (along with Jordan) since he joined the Saints as a free agent in 2018. He did not miss a game due to injury in his career until Week 4 of this season.

Rizzi and Mathieu also singled out a play Davis made on a goal-line stand as an example of why they believed the team was still giving full effort in a 25-10 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 17.

However, Davis is already the oldest linebacker in the league. Washington Commanders’ Nick Bellore and Buffalo Bills’ Von Miller are 35 and slightly younger than Davis, while Buccaneers’ Lavonte David will turn 34 on Jan. 23.

Linebackers Kaden Elliss and Zack Baun both left in free agency last year to sign with the Atlanta Falcons and Philadelphia Eagles, respectively, leaving the Saints without an immediate replacement for Davis when he retires.

Davis, like Mathieu, reworked his contract last year for another season with the Saints. He’ll count $12.4 million against the salary cap in 2025.

Carr was officially listed as out on Friday’s injury report and won’t return this season after fracturing his non-throwing hand against the New York Giants in Week 14.

Rizzi said he gained a lot of respect for Carr for trying to rehab his hand and come back, even though it was unsuccessful.

“I think it speaks volumes to him as a person,” Rizzi said. “You guys have mentioned some of that contract stuff before, which I don’t really get involved in, but the easy thing to do would be for him to say ‘Hey, I’m going to be done,’ and he’s done the exact opposite.”

He won’t get a chance to show why he should remain the starting quarterback going into 2025, but his contract will get the most scrutiny with a new coaching staff coming in. That staff will likely have input, along with the front office, as to whether they move forward with Carr or go with another quarterback next season.

Carr, 33, played in 10 games in 2024 due to an oblique injury and his hand injury, the lowest number of his career. He will finish the season with a 5-5 record, 15 touchdowns and five interceptions.

He could point to the first two games of the season, when he threw five touchdowns and one interception, as an example of what could have been. The Saints were also winless in games Carr did not start. However, his future, like others, could be in limbo until the new coaching staff is in place.

Carr has the largest salary cap figure on the team in 2025 and will count $51.4 million against the cap without a restructure. The Saints will owe him $40 million if he is on the roster on the fifth day of the league year ($30 million guaranteed base salary and a $10 million roster bonus).

Nobody would have blamed Olave if he chose to shut things down for the season after sustaining two concussions and three serious hits to the head in Weeks 6-9.

Rizzi said at one point his return was not certain as Olave sought the advice of several specialists while on injured reserve.

But while Olave hasn’t played in a game, he returned to practice several weeks ago and wants to play again, according to Rizzi.

Olave’s return to the field would end his season on a high note and provide optimism after a difficult few months. The Saints have a deadline of May 1 to decide whether they’ll pick up his fifth-year option. He had 32 receptions for 400 yards and a touchdown in eight games.

He was officially listed as questionable on the final injury report of the season, but Rizzi said he had a “great day” of practice on Wednesday.

“He’s another guy that’s looking at me like ‘Coach, I want to get back,'” Rizzi said. “He looks like the Chris Olave running around that I’m used to. … We’re making sure we’re not putting him in harm’s way.”