In 2022 the New Orleans Saints signed free agent safety Marcus Maye to a big money deal following five very strong years with the New York Jets. But after two injury-plagued and underwhelming seasons with the team, the Saints are letting him go.
According to ESPN’s Katherine Terrell, the Saints are planning to release Maye in a cost-cutting move. Per the report, Maye was set to count $9.6 million against the 2024 salary cap and was due $7 million in base salary this year.
Maye joined the Saints on a three-year, $28.5 million contract in 2022. But in two seasons in New Orleans he’s played just 17 games due to a combination of injuries and suspensions.
In his 17 games for the Saints he tallied 97 tackles, two interceptions, three tackles for loss, one forced fumble and four passes defended.
Maye was a second-round pick by the Jets in the 2016 NFL Draft and teamed up with Jamal Adams to form a very formidable safety tandem on an otherwise terrible team.
During the 2018 season he had one of the most infamous plays of the year, intercepting a ball in the endzone and running it back 104 yards but getting tackled short of the goaline, making it the longest play in NFL history that didn’t result in a touchdown.
That moment aside, Maye continued to be a well-balanced free safety who could track the ball well and even earned team MVP honors in 2020 after a career-year.
Will Maye return to the Jets or will another team give him a shot in 2024?