Saints restructure their contract with Pro Bowl center Erik McCoy

[ASFN Admin]

Bang -- the New Orleans Saints restructured their contract with Pro Bowl center Erik McCoy on Tuesday, per ESPN's Katherine Terrell, saving another $7.36 million against the 2026 salary cap. There were some doubts that New Orleans would pull this lever after injuries slowed McCoy down in recent years, but ultimately decisionmakers in the front office felt it was the right move.

Terrell adds that the Saints converted most of McCoy's base salary and his $500,000 roster bonus into a new signing bonus, which will be prorated over the life of his contract. That means his future cap hits are going to go up a bit, and he'll likely leave some dead money behind whenever he moves on. But if all goes as planned that won't happen for many years ahead.

McCoy, 28, has been limited to just 14 games in the last two years due to injuries. But he won Pro Bowl recognition in both 2023 and 2024, and when he's healthy there aren't many centers better than him. He's going to be a big part of the Saints' plan to keep Tyler Shough clean in 2026, and to make room for Travis Etienne Jr. to run.

This article originally appeared on Saints Wire: NFL free agency: Saints restructure contract with center Erik McCoy

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