The kind of season Cam Jordan had in 2025 at the age of 36 naturally makes the New Orleans Saints want to keep him around a little longer. But the bigger issue here is value. Jordan wants to be paid accordingly, and if the Saints do not meet that expectation, the veteran defensive end has already made it clear he is open to moving on.

“As much as I love the city of New Orleans, as much as I want to be in the city of New Orleans … If things don’t add up to what I consider as value happen, I understand the business nature of it all,” Jordan told his former teammate Terron Armstead on The Set with T. Stead Podcast. “In my mind, I’m like, ‘of course,’ you see guys my age re-sign with a team because that’s the only team they’ve ever been with, and you’re like, ‘hell yeah, we love that,’ but that’s to his situation.

“That may not be to my situation. As football players, we can only control what we can control. … You gotta be able to take your emotions out of it. Of course, I’d love to be in New Orleans, but at the same time, if the cents doesn’t make sense, then we have to find our own path.”

A former first-round pick at No. 24 overall in the 2011 NFL Draft, Jordan has spent all 15 seasons of his career with the Saints. While both sides may prefer to finish that journey together, there is no guarantee he returns for a 16th season in New Orleans.

For starters, there are plenty of reasons for the Saints to want him back. Jordan has been one of the most consistent players in the league, starting all but one game across 243 regular-season appearances.

Over that span, he has recorded 132.0 sacks and 763 tackles, along with 17 forced fumbles, 12 recoveries, 67 passes defended, and three interceptions.

The 2025 season only reinforced that value. Jordan finished with 47 combined tackles, 15 tackles for loss, two forced fumbles, and 10.5 sacks, his highest total since 2021. On production alone, a return for 2026 makes sense. But the conversation circles back to value.

“I’ve stated my intentions multiple times as the season ended,” Jordan stated last week. “I want to feel valued. So good news would be an offer from the Saints showing my value on the team after leading the team in sacks. As that’s a metric that people love to use.”

The complication, however, lies in the Saints’ financial situation. Before the 2023 season, Jordan signed a two-year extension worth $27.5 million in guarantees, which kept him under contract through 2025. That deal has now expired, making him a free agent.

At the same time, New Orleans is still dealing with the structure of its previous contract. The team pushed portions of his salary into void years, and now that the deal is over, that money hits the cap all at once. Reports indicate the Saints are carrying $18.76 million in dead cap tied to Jordan.

That creates a difficult scenario. If the Saints choose to bring him back, they would have to pay a new contract on top of carrying that dead money. From a cap standpoint, that makes a reunion far more complicated than it sounds.

So while a return is still possible, there is a real chance the Saints may not meet Jordan’s expectations. And if that happens, the door opens for him to play elsewhere for the first time in his career, with the Kansas City Chiefs emerging as a potential landing spot.

Chris Jones Fuels Buzz Around Chiefs’ Potential Cam Jordan Move

On Terron Armstead’s show, Cam Jordan made it clear that he currently has three teams to choose from. The only catch is that he did not reveal which teams are in the mix. Still, the Chiefs are widely expected to be one of those options. That belief has not only come from reports but also from reactions within the Chiefs’ locker room.

“Cam jordan…” Chris Jones simply posted on his ‘x’ handle.

Since then, the speculation around a potential move to Kansas City has only picked up. For instance, CBS Sports’ Jordan Dajani pointed to the Chiefs as a strong fit for the eight-time Pro Bowl defensive lineman.

“Jordan has recorded 763 tackles, 175 tackles for loss, and 132 sacks in his 243 career games. Those 132 sacks are the most in franchise history. Jordan, who turns 37 this summer, is still a productive player, as he recorded 10.5 sacks, 15 QB hits and 15 tackles for loss in 2025,” he wrote.

“The Chiefs have lost plenty on the defensive side of the ball this offseason, including Trent McDuffie, Jaylen Watson, Bryan Cook, Leo Chenal, Charles Omenihu and Derrick Nnadi. Kansas City could score Jordan on a cheap deal as the Chiefs look to rebound in 2026.”

All of this comes at a time when Kansas City is reshaping its roster after a disappointing 2025 season. The team has already been active in free agency and trades. Whether those moves eventually include Cam Jordan is something that should become clear soon.