How much cap space do the New Orleans Saints have?

The New Orleans Saints are the most recent team that has started to release players to free up cap space for the 2021 NFL off-season. New Orleans Saints are fighting an uphill battle when it comes to their salary cap. The Saints are currently ($-33.5) million over the salary cap heading into the 2021 off-season.

The Saints were sitting at roughly $52 million over the salary cap but with recent releases of Emmanuel Sanders and Kwon Alexander they have chipped away. They still have a ton of work to do before even thinking about signing any of the free agents this off-season. The Saints have players that they can walk away from but it could cost them a successful season in 2021.

With the Saints being so far over the cap, will they just run with the team they have or make more cuts to make room?

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How should the New Orleans Saints handle their salary cap issues?

Wild Card Round - Chicago Bears v New Orleans Saints

The New Orleans Saints are at a standstill right now until Drew Brees decides on whether he is retiring or playing one more year. If Drew Brees retires then it will not be surprising if the Saints start making big moves. The Saints could potentially go through a rebuilding stage if Brees does end up retiring.

The New Orleans Saints maneuvering the cap pic.twitter.com/gLRHrDWHI6

— #RingerNFL (@ringernfl) March 9, 2021

The rebuild could consist of trading star wide receiver Michael Thomas. Trading star cornerback Marshon Lattimore. Potentially shopping Alvin Kamara at some point during the 2021-2022 NFL season.

If Drew Brees decides to return for another year, the New Orleans Saints should stick with the team that they have right now. The talent that they have on both offense and defense will carry them to the playoffs.

By sticking with the same team, the Saints can plan for the future and make the right decisions. Sean Payton is a smart head coach and the Saints are a well-run franchise. Their rebuild will not take long and they will be back on top again soon.

From NFL Now: While #Saints QB Drew Brees comes to grips with his looming retirement, worth noting that regardless of when he makes his announcement, Brees would go on the reserve/retired list after June 1 for cap reasons. pic.twitter.com/zE7ae3oEn0

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 1, 2021

Right now with the salary cap issues and the uncertainty of whether Brees is coming back or leaving. It's smart for the New Orleans Saints to just keep their core group of talent together for the 2021-2022 NFL season. Making more moves could only hurt the team when it comes to having a successful season next year.