Last Ride? Sunday Could Be The Last Time In The Superdome For These Saints Greats

The NFL can be a cruel business, which may mean we'll see the last of these three Saints greats inside the Superdome on Sunday.

Oct 30, 2022; New Orleans Saints defensive end Cameron Jordan (94) hits Raiders quarterback Derek Carr (4) as he throws / Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

The New Orleans Saints (5-10) host the Las Vegas Raiders (3-12) as part of Week 17 action on Sunday. For the Saints, it will be their last home game of this season. Once nearly unbeatable at home, they are only 3-5 inside the Superdome this year and are just 14-17 inside their building since 2021.

As an awful year winds to a close, the Saints face a long list of tough and crucial decisions for the franchise this offseason. Several positions need a significant upgrade, which is daunting for a team also facing major salary cap challenges yet again.

For some accomplished veterans, this may be the last home game we see them in a New Orleans uniform. The NFL is a business first, after all, and the Saints must make some tough decisions if they plan on becoming contenders again any time soon.

It's possible that these three decorated Saints may be suiting up for their last game in the Superdome on Sunday.

Tyrann Mathieu, S

New Orleans Saints safety Tyrann Mathieu (32) runs back an interception against the Philadelphia Eagles / Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

A graduate of St. Augustine High School and star at LSU, Mathieu is a Louisiana legend. He's in his third year with the Saints and remains a team spokesman and locker room leader. On the field, he's still an extremely effective player in certain aspects of the game.

Mathieu has a team-high three interceptions this year, giving him 10 interceptions in his three years with the Saints and 36 picks through a 12-year NFL career. He's also forced two fumbles, broke up six throws, and has 57 total tackles.

Now 32, Mathieu may no longer be able to take on the league's top receivers in the slot. Frankly, he's also become a tackling liability too often, both in effort and fundamentally. What Mathieu does add is outstanding coverage instincts and the elite ability to bait opposing quarterbacks into mistakes.

Demario Davis, LB

New Orleans Saints linebacker Demario Davis (56) / neworleanssaints.com

Next to Drew Brees in 2006, the 2018 signing of Demario Davis is the greatest free agent addition in New Orleans history. With a team-high 114 tackles this year, Davis has eclipsed 105 stops in each of his seven years with the team.

A testament of durability, Davis has incredibly missed only two of a possible 119 games with the Saints. In the process, he's annually played nearly 100% of the defensive snaps and continues to do so at a high level as the leader of the defense.

More than just a tackling machine, Davis is a true playmaker against both the run and pass. In his seven years with New Orleans, he has 4 interceptions, 48 passes broken up, forced six fumbles, has 76 tackles for loss, and has recorded 32 sacks.

Davis is 35 and in his 13th NFL season. While still athletic and tenacious, he may have lost a step in pursuit. Still, he has the elite instincts and play diagnosis to remain one of the league's top off-ball linebackers.

Cameron Jordan, DE

New Orleans Saints defensive end Cameron Jordan (94) leaps over a blocker to sack Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins (18) / Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

Playing all of his 14 seasons with New Orleans, Jordan is easily one of the top five players in franchise history. His 120.5 career sacks is a Saints franchise record, ranks second among active players, and is the 28th highest total in NFL history.

Jordan has done more than torture quarterbacks. He's also been one of the league's best run defenders at his position in the modern era of pro football. As a result, he averaged an incredible 902 defensive snaps per season over his first 13 years while missing only two of a possible 237 games.

At 35, Jordan has slowed in recent seasons. For the first part of 2024, he was playing a career low amount of snaps and having little impact on games. In true Jordan fashion, he's turned it on in recent weeks and has 3 sacks, 9 pressures, and 4 tackles for loss over the last six contests.

A possible first-ballot Hall of Famer, Cam Jordan has shown that he still has effective football left, though probably not as an every down player. Similarly, Demario Davis and Tyrann Mathieu also remain crucial parts of the defense.

Parting with any of these players, but especially Jordan and Davis, would be painful for all involved. Additionally, there are salary cap issues that would also make releasing any of them complicated.

The Saints need to get younger and faster on defense. This may result in painful business moves that sees New Orleans part with a couple of the best players in the history of the franchise.