
Things haven’t exactly gone according to plan for the New Orleans Saints this year, so it makes sense that some fans are already looking ahead to 2023. And the outlook isn’t pretty: New Orleans will be over the projected salary cap by more than $50 million, with 28 players whose contracts are up at the end of 2022 season.
Many of those free agents will be unrestricted, meaning they can entertain all offers, while some are going to carry restricted status (meaning the Saints will have a right to match any contract offers) and a few carry exclusive-rights status, which limits their options to playing for New Orleans or not at all.