There's still another game to play for the Saints this season, and one more year on the contract of one of the team's most recognizable stars, but Sunday at the Caesars Superdome sure had a feeling of finality to it for Cam Jordan.
There was the large contingent of family and friends on hand and a chance to lead the pregame Who Dat chant, something Cam said he requested early in the season. But the scene postgame was most telling, with the 14-year veteran taking plenty of time to sign autographs and take photos with the large contingent of fans who stuck around through the 25-10 loss to the Raiders.
"I’m just appreciative of all the fans. ... The city of New Orleans has always rocked with us," Jordan said, "even in a piss poor season like this one."
And that's something Jordan took the extra time to make sure was clear in what could very well be his last home game as a Saint, the only place he's called home in the NFL since New Orleans drafted him in the first round way back in 2011.
Interim head coach Darren Rizzi credited Cam for keeping an even keel throughout the week and throughout the game, noting that he didn't see any changes this week. The consistency and energy is what has set Cam apart for so many years.
"I hope he keeps playing and I hope this isn’t his last game at home," Rizzi said, "but I haven’t seen anything different out of that guy."
The extra emotion and autograph session was more a just-in-case moment than anything else. Jordan has no intention of retiring, though he understands that call could be out of his hands if he ends up unemployed. He feels like the tape speaks for itself in that regard, and there's something to be said for that. The veteran has been vocally critical of the role he had earlier in the year, when he was being used more as a defensive tackle and phased more and more out of the rush.
The final game of Dennis Allen's head coaching era coincided with the lowest snap count of Jordan's career (12). Jordan was visibly upset during the game and afterward, for obvious reasons. Things weren't going well and he wasn't on the field to make a difference. When interim head coach Darren Rizzi took over, the first move was to move Todd Grantham to a senior defensive assistant role and put longtime assistant Brian Young in charge of the defensive line. Since that point Jordan has logged at least 32 snaps in each game and a more significant pass rush role. He's delivered with 4 sacks and 20 tackles.
But those changes will only sit for so long. Once the season ends, the coaching search begins, as will the conversation of just how wide-reaching of a rebuild is necessary with that new regime. Each of Jordan, safety Tyrann Mathieu and LB Demario Davis have a year left on their deals and would represent a significant chunk of dead cap if they're not on the roster next year, but all options end up on the table when a team suffers through a 7-game losing streak and clinches it's worst record in nearly two decades. That's just the reality of the NFL and Jordan understands that.
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"We have to find a way, so whatever that takes, hopefully I’m part of the picture," Jordan said. "We don’t know all there is is uncertainty when you have a coaching change, when you have coaching staff change, when you have player changes, possibly, you know, whatever it is, we’re sitting in an uncertain time."
Whether the issue is Jordan's play or some other culprit, there's no question the Saints defense hasn't gotten the job done of late or enough of the time in the 2024 season. Things have been exacerbated since Allen's departure, with several loud critiques of the defensive game plans and implementation, along with practice intensity. Mathieu has been among the most vocal. In multiple games this season he could be seen laying into coaches on the sidelines mid-game. At one point earlier this season questioning why more robber coverages weren't called during a close win over the Giants, and addressing the need to modernize and adapt the defensive scheme after a blowout loss to the Packers.
“I think the scheme is a great scheme, but I think with everything, like, you’ve got to constantly update it," Mathieu said. "You’ve got to evolve it, you know what I mean, you’ve got to move guys around, you’ve got to change up looks.”
Late in this last game I saw Khalen Saunders walk over the sideline after a long Raiders drive and announce to no one in particular that he was fed up. He sat down, shaking his head in clear frustration. The Saints turned the ball over on the ensuing offensive possession and the defense hopped up to enter the game. Saunders sat there for a few extra moments, and I wondered if he'd refuse to go back in. He ultimately got up, but the emotional energy had clearly been spent. I'd qualify Saunders as one of the most enthusiastic and energy-producing members of this defense, but even he had had enough by the end of that game.
"It’s frustrating for everybody," Rizzi said, "I mean, we get into third and medium, third and long and all of a sudden the offense is up, the punt return team is up and all of a sudden, boom, they convert and so it’s, you know, it’s certainly deflating at times, for sure, when they’re converting third downs and it was the same story last week."
Jordan referenced similar elements while also not-so-subtly pointing shade at a defensive coaching staff that is likely to be significantly overhauled by next season. He noted that he'd have preferred to have Young as the defensive line coach all year, and perhaps that'd have led to better results. But more importantly he felt like the team had gotten away from its core principles in terms of stopping the run, something that has been a major discussion point all year. In Week 17 it was journeyman Ameer Abdullah going off for 120 yards, the first such game in his career. In all there have ben six opposing running back to go over the century mark against the Saints this season, something that'd have been unthinkable during the early days of the DA defensive coordinator era.
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"If all we care about at the beginning of the year is sacks, pressures and we see the yards per carry go up, we’re getting away from what made us good for the last 5 or 6 years," Jordan said.
"When the Saints play our way, we play our football, when everyone is going on full cylinders we’ve been a force to be reckoned with," he continued, "and that’s what we have to do. We have to find our way back to being a problem for the league and not just an opponent.”
It's certainly a fair take and one that will be discussed at length during the offseason. But that runs secondary to the question for Jordan himself, because if he had it his way he'd never wear another jersey. He'll joke about going to play for the Falcons some day just to troll them by retiring after a day of practice, but there's not a lot of interest in being a mercenary. That doesn't mean he won't do it, just that it's not at the front of his wishlist.
What becomes reality is anyone's guess. Jordan idolizes players like Chris Dolman, who played 16 seasons, and Chris Randle, who played 14. One of the few players he can still call an elder in the NFL is Calais Campbell, who is still going strong with the Falcons in Year 16 and at age 38. If Calais can do it, why can't Cam? At least that's how he sees it.
"Maybe this is my adversity that I have to overcome," Jordan said. "Maybe, maybe not, we’ll see.”
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Whether Jordan dons another jersey or not, one thing is clear: New Orleans is home. It'll be the Saints Hall of Fame he joins, as well as likely the team's Ring of Honor, as well as the Saints he represents when he possibly enters the Pro Football Hall of Fame at some point down the line. The city is a part of him, and that's why it goes full circle, lapping the Superdome perimeter to sign -- possibly -- a final set of autographs as an active player.
"There’s still all the tee-tees the mawmaws and the pawpaws and the parrains that’s out there taking care of us," Jordan said, "so I’ve got nothing but love for it so I was trying to show a little appreciation, and if it is the last one then I’ma go out my way anyways.”
Whatever happens from here, Cam is going to do it his way -- because he knows no other way.