What are the salary cap costs of Saints' five retirements this summer?
Beyond football, there are financial considerations to each of these retirements. Here are the five former Saints who have retired since the start of the offseason and their dead money salary cap hits, which span through 2026 per the experts at OverTheCap:
QB Derek Carr
2025 dead money: $19,207,000
2026 dead money: $36,674,000
Carr's retirement was quite surprising overall, but it's one that might end up helping the Saints in the long run. His departure gave the front office no choice but to embrace the future and has left a clean slate for new head coach Kellen Moore to build on.
New Orleans signed Carr to a four-year, $150 million deal back before the 2023 season. He ended up playing just two years of that, effectively leaving the last two seasons as dead money. It isn't all of the money, though, so they will end up saving in the long run.
RT Ryan Ramczyk
2025 dead money: $11,083,321
2026 dead money: $11,983,324
On the flip side of Carr, no one was surprised by the fact that Ramczyk had retired as there was no other option for him at that point. He played just 12 games in 2023, missed all of 2024 and just never was able to get past a knee issue.
The 31-year-old had an incredible start to his career and it would have been fun to see how far he would have been able to go had he stayed healthy. On the bright side, New Orleans may now have a new franchise cornerstone right tackle in Taliese Fuaga.
Ramczyk's rookie extension that he signed back in 2021 was for five years, $96 million. The Saints will be on the books for just about $23 million of that over the next two years.
S Tyrann Mathieu
2025 dead money: $4,561,000
2026 dead money: $7,234,000
Around the building, it seemed as though they had seen this coming for a little bit, but this was a complete shocker for anyone on the outside. Many were expecting to Mathieu to man that safety spot for at least one more year, but instead he chose to walk away after 12 seasons in the league.
Mathieu will always be a legend in New Orleans and Louisiana as a whole, so it was tough for many to see him hang up his cleats. The Saints had already signed his replacement, another local in Justin Reid.
The 33-year-old did have just one year left on his contract, but it was reworked so there will be dead money in 2026 as well.
TE Jimmy Graham
On the same day as Mathieu, Graham decided to walk away from the game as well. While he was never able to win a Super Bowl in black and gold, he will be remembered by a generation as one of their favorites. That he's spent his post-football career rowing across oceans for charity is laudable.
The 38-year-old was not under contract and won't leave behind any dead money for 2025 or 2026, but the Saints were the last team that he suited up for back in 2023.
TE Dallin Holker
Holker was a surprise retirement on the first day of training camp. He had been dealing with an ankle injury in the spring and ultimately chose to walk away from pro football than continue grinding and punishing his body. The second-year pro's contract only included partial guarantees for 2024, so there is no dead money left over for 2025 or 2026.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
NBC Sports
3 hours ago
- NBC Sports
Tyreek Hill's call for a change at short-yardage tailback had already happened
Receiver Tyreek Hill's failure to show up in time for the team stretch only two days after saying it's 'very important' to do so wasn't the only unusual wrinkle for the Dolphins this weekend. On Friday, Hill told reporters that De'Von Achane shouldn't be the short-yardage tailback. On Sunday, coach Mike McDaniel made it clear that this has already happened. Hill was specifically asked about the reputation of the Dolphins as being a 'finesse' team. 'The short yardage issues, the running game issues last year. How do you change that identity?' Hill was asked. 'Take De'Von [Achane] out on third down — what?' Hill told reporters. 'That's my honest opinion. If it's third-and-short, he's not a power back. I keep telling him that in the locker room, but he swears he's a power back. I love De'Von, but if I'm being honest like that's why you got Jaylen Wright, that's why you got Ollie Gordon II, for those kind of situations.' On Sunday, McDaniel was asked about Hill's suggestion. McDaniel made it clear that what Hill wants has already happened. 'I thought it was genius reporting by Tyreek seeing how we had a short-yardage period that very day that you guys were in attendance for, and his suggestion was I guess congruent with [running backs coach Eric] Studesville — that's exactly how we repped the backs in that short-yardage period that very day. But we thought it was funny that he reported the news that wasn't news on that practice day in that short-yardage period that you guys were all there, too, for.' It's an odd little conflict that comes at a time when there are simmering issues between Hill and the Dolphins. He capped the 2024 regular season by saying he wants out of Miami. He reversed course with a sudden and unscheduled Super Bowl-week apology tour. Skepticism is justified. Scrutiny is merited. Especially with McDaniel saying what he said, only two days after Hill said what he said. It's not an ideal tone, at a time when the Dolphins generally seem to be trending in the wrong direction. And it makes us wonder whether Hill will still end up getting a one-way ticket out of Miami, if the team struggles early and if Hill decides to revert to his position that it's time to move on to a team that is more likely to contend. Of course, a contending team would want to trade for him. Based on what he's been saying and doing, all we can say is this: Buyer beware.
Newsweek
6 hours ago
- Newsweek
Tom Brady says Scottie Scheffler is still learning to 'make sense of success'
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. It's not every day that a GOAT athlete pauses to reflect on another's philosophy of success. But in his 199th newsletter, released on Tuesday, Tom Brady did just that. As typed out in the newsletter, the NFL star sits down every week "to reflect on the events of the week, extract their lessons, and gameplan how to apply those lessons toward greatness and growth." Interestingly, this time, it offered a layered response to Scottie Scheffler's viral comments about golf, success, and the deeper meanings associated with life. According to the seven-time Super Bowl winner, Scheffler is just the "young athlete trying to make sense of success without the benefit of the perspective that comes with years of experience." Tom Brady Weighs In on Scheffler's Golf & Life Mindset Scheffler, fresh off his Open Championship win at Royal Portrush, had stunned the media with a candid press conference just days earlier. When asked about how long he celebrates his victories, the World No. 1 didn't hesitate but reflected on the battle going on inside him. "It feels like you work your whole life to celebrate winning a tournament for like a few minutes," Scheffler told reporters while reflecting on his Byron Nelson win back in May. He added, "It only lasts a few minutes, that kind of euphoric feeling. To win the Byron Nelson Championship at home, I literally worked my entire life to become good at golf to have an opportunity to win that tournament. You win it, you celebrate, get to hug my family ... Then it's like, OK, what are we going to eat for dinner?" "You know, life goes on," Scheffler continued, sharing his perspective with the media during the same interview. Of course, the four-time major winner was not downplaying the value of hard work but rather questioning emotional return after finally achieving what you had worked so hard for and then sometimes the road looks totally foggy. Scheffler later questioned the very purpose of his pursuit, expressing, "This is not a fulfilling life. It's fulfilling from the sense of accomplishment, but it's not fulfilling from a sense of the deepest places of your heart." It sounded like the 29-year-old pro had been dealing with these thoughts for a long time now. Especially his perspective on "What's the point?" sparked widespread debate. And Brady, who admitted being in the same place when he was of Scheffler's age, weighed in with empathy. Image Collage of Tom Brady and Scottie Scheffler. (Image Credits: Getty Images) Image Collage of Tom Brady and Scottie Scheffler. (Image Credits: Getty Images) Getty Images "His answer was basically 'not very long,'" Brady wrote in his Tuesday newsletter. "For Scottie, celebrations have been fleeting, in part because golf doesn't fulfill the deepest desires of his heart. The golf course, he said, is not where he goes to find satisfaction. So, 'what's the point?' (That was the line that went most viral.)" Brady recalled a similar moment in his own life in 2005, after winning three Super Bowls in four years, when he asked himself, "What else is there for me?" in an interview with "60 Minutes." "I was young. My first son, Jack (Brady), wouldn't be born for another year-and-a-half," the publication read. "But similar to Scottie (Scheffler), I could feel myself resisting the expectation placed on elite athletes ... to use professional achievement as the primary meter for personal satisfaction." From there, Brady broke his reflection into three parts: reflection, lesson, and application. The 48-year-old acknowledged that fulfillment doesn't come from trophies alone. Like Scheffler, he once felt the emptiness of success and began searching for deeper meaning. He emphasized that life is a pyramid of priorities: self, partner, children, work, community. Fulfillment comes from knowing which block to prioritize at any given moment. "Scottie said he'd rather be a better father and husband than a good golfer. And my question is: why are those mutually exclusive?" Brady wrote. "They're different blocks on the pyramid, but they're part of the same pyramid. They're connected!" Brady urged young athletes to embrace the process, not just the outcome. He argued that excellence in sport can support excellence in family life if approached with intention. "Being a great football player didn't make me a great dad," Brady wrote further. "But how I became a great player certainly had an impact, from showing up day in and day out, to doing whatever it took to get better, be successful, be a role model, and to provide." Scheffler, now a father to 14-month-old Bennett, has made it clear that his priorities lie at home. And while Brady's perspective comes from decades of experience, it's hard not to admire Scheffler's clarity at just 29. But maybe, just maybe, learning how to honor both is the real win. More Golf: Joel Dahmen Reflects On Caddie Breakup After Breakthrough Round At Wyndham
Yahoo
8 hours ago
- Yahoo
Fans Debating If NFL Should Retire Tom Brady's Number
Fans Debating If NFL Should Retire Tom Brady's Number originally appeared on The Spun. When most NFL fans think of the No. 12 they think of the GOAT Tom Brady. But should the number be retired league-wide? While the seven-time Super Bowl champ might be the most synonymous with the iconic jersey number at this point, quarterbacks like Terry Bradshaw, Aaron Rodgers, Jim Kelly, Roger Staubach, Joe Namath, Ken Stabler and Randall Cunningham also helped make the No. 12 famous. That question was posed by DraftKings Sportsbook over the weekend and here's a look at what fans thought: "Nope 🫡" replied. "Delete your account," a user said. "Brady is clearly the best player to ever play the game….but this is silly," a fan commented. "Absolutely not," another person posted. "The Patriots should but any other team doing it would be weak." "What a stupid idea," a fan exclaimed. "You can't retire a number league-wide just because somebody was really good. Why don't we just retire hoodies with the sleeves cut off while we're at it? You know, you don't HAVE to hit 'Post.'" "That's ridiculous," Chris Andrews pointed out. "Abso-f—ing-lutely not." "I get the sentiment but this is a) not like a Jackie Robinson type situation and b) there's simply too many players on a football team/field especially when you take into account how many retired numbers some teams have to do this," a Bucs fan shared. "So no, no they shouldn't." "If you were a person, I'd smack you draft kings 🤣" It's hard to imagine the NFL would ever actually do this but Brady's number will almost assuredly be retired in both New England and Tampa when it's all said and done. Right now the only league-wide jersey retirements are Jackie Robinson's No. 42 in Major League Baseball, Bill Russell's No. 6 in the NBA and Wayne Gretzky's No. 99 in the NHL. Although some people believe Michael Jordan's No. 23 should also be added that list given his unrivaled impact on the game of Debating If NFL Should Retire Tom Brady's Number first appeared on The Spun on Aug 3, 2025 This story was originally reported by The Spun on Aug 3, 2025, where it first appeared.
