Last year, when the New Orleans Saints entered the offseason, the roster’s age was an issue. The future was not so bright with the lack of young, exciting options throughout the roster, but that all changed with an excellent 2025 draft class. The infusion of youth brought back hope to the fanbase, and getting even younger was bound to happen due to departures in free agency or potential retirements.
To start the offseason, Cam Jordan, Taysom Hill, and Demario Davis were all set to hit free agency. Each had roles, on and off the field, that would be very difficult to replace, but the idea of getting this team even younger and finding more “exciting” options was not a bad outcome. A position where we really saw this happen was at RB after the Saints signed Travis Etienne where it looked like Alvin Kamara’s future with the team was up in the air due to his age and contract, and Etienne was going to take over as RB1.
Since that point, Davis signed with the New York Jets, Jordan returned to the Saints, Kamara has made it clear he wants to stay by showing up for minicamp while Hill is still available in free agency and is likely retiring. With Jordan and Kamara still on the roster, some in the fanbase have pushed back on keeping these veterans, but even if their ability may be hitting that fall-off point, there are more important factors at play.
With any young team in any sport, having some seasoned veterans to help guide the players is extremely vital in the development process. Without those leaders, things can crumble quickly, and younger players are more likely to make mistakes and how they deal with those mistakes is just as important as this game is just as mentally demanding as physical.
There is absolutely an outcome with too many veterans on a team that’s not competing, but there’s also an outcome with not enough veterans.
What makes Kamara and Jordan perfect for this team is that their remaining time with the Saints is very limited. Jordan has said this will be his last year, and Kamara’s contract is up after this season. If the rest of the roster loves having these guys in the building, then that shows how important their presence is, even if it’s for one more year. This season will be important for other players to step up and take the reigns when the two are no longer on the roster.
Yes, what they do on the field is also important, but this roster is not like last year’s. Kamara won’t have to be RB1, and Jordan can be switched out much more with Anfernee Jennings and Tyree Wilson on the roster. With both players having smaller roles, they can make their impact when needed and stay energized throughout games.
As long as things begin to sour, having veterans like both Jordan and Kamara is extremely important for the Saints’ 2026 season on and off the field.
