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It looks like Kwon Alexander will be the latest casualty of the New Orleans Saints' cap cutdown. The Saints plan on releasing Alexander, NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported Wednesday, citing a source.
"The #Saints are expected to release LB Kwon Alexander in the coming days, source said, a move that saves them more than $13M against the salary cap with no dead money," Rapoport tweeted. "Alexander is recovering from a torn Achilles, but will be ready for the start of training camp."
Kwon Alexander's expected release is just one of numerous personnel moves surrounding New Orleans as the franchise attempts to save cap space. It also recently released wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders for the same reason.
The two releases will save the Saints over $19 million in cap space, according to NFL.com.
Cutting down on money owed would be especially important if veteran quarterback Drew Brees retires and they pursue another signal-caller through free agency.
Alexander is still linked to the contract he signed with the San Francisco 49ers before joining the Saints. This allows them to cleanly release him and free themselves of his pay, according to The Athletic's David Lombardi.
"Kwon Alexander is still on the contract he signed with the 49ers in 2019, which provided clean outs in later years," Lombardi tweeted Wednesday. "New Orleans will utilize this to release Alexander and improve their messy cap situation."
Kwon Alexander will be on the market again
Following his expected release, Kwon Alexander will be looking for his fourth NFL team since entering the league in 2015.
He was a standout linebacker in college football at LSU. Alexander totaled 92 tackles during his junior season before forgoing his senior year to enter the NFL Draft.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers selected Alexander with the No. 124 overall pick in the fourth round of the 2015 NFL Draft. He quickly carved out a starting role with the Bucs and played for them for four seasons.
After a 2018 campaign in which Alexander suffered a season-ending ACL injury, he left the Bucs and signed a four-year, $54 million contract with the San Francisco 49ers.
He lasted just one full season with the 49ers, though, despite helping lead the team to the Super Bowl. Alexander was traded to the Saints in November for linebacker Kiko Alonso and a fifth-round conditional pick in the 2021 NFL Draft.
Alexander totaled 30 tackles across five games with the Saints.
Injury issues have consistently bothered Kwon Alexander during his NFL career. He has spent time on injured reserve during his stints with all three teams.
