A downside to the NFL’s new work-from-home practices in reaction to the coronavirus pandemic might be that information travels a little slower than it used to. With so many important figures working remotely — including general managers and head coaches, team contract negotiators, agents representing players, and the players themselves — it takes a bit longer for news to travel through the grape vine. There’s simply fewer eyes in the room to leak the details on which offers were on the table.
That’s the case for the New Orleans Saints and cornerback Janoris Jenkins, who NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported agreed to a two-year contract extension paying out $16.75 million in new money; combined with his current deal, that looks like a three-year $27 million agreement with $10.2 million in guarantees.
It’s also a big shift from the previously-reported news that Jenkins and the Saints did not reach an agreement on a long-term deal, instead settling on a restructure that created short-term salary cap space while allowing Jenkins to test free agency in 2021. We know now that’s not the case, and Jenkins will play for the Saints after next year.
So how does this new deal impact the Saints salary cap situation? Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football reported Jenkins will count for the following salary cap hits:
- 2020: $5.05 million
- 2021: $14.2 million
- 2022: $8.75 million
However, these essentially work out like team options in the next few years, because the Saints can cut Jenkins with little financial penalty should he not play up to expectations (or fall off a cliff, talent-wise; he’ll be 34 in 2022, an age few corners perform well at). Per Over The Cap, the Saints can save $8.2 million in 2021 and $5.75 million in 2022 by releasing Jenkins, should they choose to do so.
So all in all, this is a much better deal for the Saints than what was initially reported. They’ve saved salary cap space this year and will get a return on their investment by having someone on their payroll actually play for them. For Jenkins, he gets some stability (and an instant $9 million payout) and the opportunity to stick with a team he obviously enjoyed playing for last season.
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