Saint for life: New Orleans ironman Cam Jordan re-ups with franchise

He’s been a force for a team that has been a playoff contender during most of his career. New Orleans Saints defensive end Cameron Jordan has a new deal.

There’s been no Super Bowl appearance or title since Sean Payton’s team surprised the Indianapolis Colts in South Florida in 2009. Those New Orleans Saints were led by quarterback Drew Brees and an opportunistic squad that forced opponents into a slew of mistakes.

Two years after hoisting that Lombardi Trophy, the team looked to continue to get better on defense by making Cal defensive end Cameron Jordan the 24th overall pick in the 2011 NFL Draft. In a dozen seasons in the Big Easy, he’s missed only two of 194 regular-season contests. He is the Saints’ all-time leader with 115.5 sacks, quite impressive considering he finished his rookie campaign with only one quarterback trap. Jordan has finished with double-digit sacks in six of his 12 NFL seasons.

The 34-year-old performer has been named to eight Pro Bowls, including every year since 2017, and earned All-Pro honors that season as well. The Saints have made six postseason appearances during his NFL career, reaching the NFC title game in 2018. Jordan has totaled 5.5 sacks in 11 playoff games.

While defensive stars Nick Bosa and Chris Jones are waiting on new contracts, that’s not the case with Jordan.

Cameron Jordan gets extension with Saints, locked in until 2025

“I want to finish my career here,” explained Jordan (via Katherine Terrell ofESPN). “I want my storyline to be here. I would love that my story has been drafted here, kept here, been here, never played a season without guaranteed money here.

“That’s probably in a category of its own right there. The story is to let unfold, finish and be here. So maybe Year 15, if there is a Year 16 (possibility), we’ll talk about it then. Probably won’t be.”

The Saints are looking to bounce back from their first losing season since 2016. A year ago, the club tumbled to 7-10, the most losses by the team since a 3-13 finish in 2005 when the franchise was displaced by Hurricane Katrina. There are a lot of new faces as Dennis Allen begins his second year as the club’s head coach, most notably veteran quarterback Derek Carr.

Of course, Jordan is not one of those newcomers. He’s been a reliable performer for a talented defensive unit that allowed 31 offensive touchdowns in 17 contests in 2022. This could be an interesting team if the Saints can bounce back from a turnover-plagued season.