Saints make long-term financial commitment to veteran

In a year in which they have ensured Cameron Jordan will remain in place for the foreseeable future, the Saints have done the same with fellow edge-rusher Carl Granderson. The latter agreed to terms on a four-year extension Saturday, reports Mike Garafolo of NFL Network.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter adds that Granderson will receive $52M on this new deal. $35.3M is guaranteed, making this quite the pay raise for the former undrafted free agent. Granderson was playing on the final year of his current contract, so he will now be on the books through the 2027 campaign, with this new pact taking the place of a void year in 2024.

The 26-year-old played sparingly during his first two Saints campaigns, but he has seen an uptick in playing time with each passing season. Granderson recorded five sacks in 2020, then set a new career high last year with 5.5. He also notched a new personal benchmark in tackles (53) and PFF grade (80.4) in 2022. That made his second New Orleans pact — a two-year, $5.63M extension signed last March — seem like a bargain.

With Marcus Davenport having departed in free agency, a starting defensive end spot opposite Jordan was available this summer. Rather than former first-rounder Payton Turner, it was Granderson who got the nod for a first-team role on a full-time basis for the first time in his career. The latter has not disappointed to date, having racked up 2.5 sacks and seven QB pressures over the first two weeks of the season. He is currently PFF’s seventh-highest graded edge rusher in 2023.

Jordan and the Saints made it very clear during the offseason that they would work out a deal putting any speculation about his future to rest. They ultimately did just that in August, agreeing on a fully guaranteed pact worth $27.5M which will take him through 2025. The Jordan-Granderson pairing is now in place for the foreseeable future given today’s news.

With Turner currently sidelined with a turf toe injury, New Orleans has had to lean heavily on Jordan and Granderson as every-down rushers. They have shouldered the load effectively to date, with the Saints defense having led the team to a 2-0 start. With a $13M-per-year deal now in place, Granderson (who has earned just over $3.2M in the NFL to date) can carry on his encouraging start to the campaign with his long-term future having been taken care of in emphatic fashion.