Cam Jordan is entering the final year of his current contract at age 33, and in many cases that'd mean an uncertain future in the NFL.
How many more Pro Bowl seasons does the veteran DE have left in him? We'll soon find out in New Orleans, based on what Saints GM Mickey Loomis said on SiriusXM this week.
"He’s going to be able to play for us as long as he wants to and as long as he can," Loomis told hosts Bill Polian and Solomon Wilcots.
"And then when the time comes, his name will be up on that Ring of Honor and in our hall of fame and all those other accolades that come with a player of his stature," he continued. "He’s meant so much to not just the organization but the community and how he’s embraced New Orleans and yea, he’ll definitely be with us for the duration of his career.”
It's a statement that might not mean the most leverage in contract negotiations, but it's really only stating the obvious about a player who's been as consistent as they come since the team drafted him in the first round in 2011. He's missed just two games in his entire NFL career, one in each of the past two seasons due to a COVID scare and a freak eye injury. His 115.5 career sacks is the most in franchise history, surpassing former Saints great and Hall of Famer Rickey Jackson during the 2022 season.
Still, such endings are not always a guarantee. Loomis' comments echo similar words he spoke about Terron Armstead prior to the 2022 season after the longtime Saints LT departed to join the Miami Dolphins on a big free agent deal. Two factors make the question simple for Jordan. The first is that he'd cost more than $23 million in dead cap space for the Saints in 2024 if he wasn't on the roster next season. Nobody wants that. The second is that there's been no real dip in his play, fitness, health or leadership. Jordan has logged at least 7.5 sacks and 45 tackles in each of the past 11 seasons.
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Jordan spent much of the offseason jetsetting across the globe, but still made sure to be in town for the start of optional OTAs, which many veterans do not attend. He was also asked earlier this offseason how long he intends to play. "Forever," he quipped, before noting that his next benchmark to consider retirement would be at Year 15 in the 2025 season.
"We keep counting on Cam Jordan. Everybody says, ‘well, maybe this is it,' but he just keeps going," Loomis said. "He’s the [Energizer] Bunny, right? Doesn’t miss time, just keeps playing, keeps being productive, one of the better ends in our league. And so we’re excited to have him back again. ... "When he talks about retirement, I think he’s thinking it’s years down the road, and so am I."
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