1) More contracts for other players will expire, decreasing the excess cap the team will open the new season with. That’s been a nine-figure number in years past but not this time around and will be even lower next season.
2) The salary cap will grow by another eight figures. It’s happened after every year since the loss taken in the Covid season, and three of those jumps were over $20 million. The 2026 salary cap may well exceed $300 million. It got to $100 million in 2006 and $200 million in 2022. Talk about growth!
3) more of his contract will have been paid to him, meaning the hook number will be less.
4) If the Saints cut him now, they’d have to restructure a host of players to get barely cap compliant this year, would be absent in free agency, and may have to offload this year’s draft picks due to an inability to sign them. This team has to build through the draft. Cutting him now takes both of those options (a healthy draft and some free agent exploration) off the table.