New Orleans Saints defensive end Cameron Jordan (94) and Saints linebacker Demario Davis (56) give a high-five during the second day of training camp practice at Crawford Field at University of California, Irvine, Calif., Thursday, July 25, 2024. (Photo by Sophia Germer, The Times-Picayune) As they lined up for stretch prior to Friday’s practice, New Orleans Saints linebacker Demario Davis and safety Tyrann Mathieu started to talk about their legacies.
Mathieu has a Super Bowl on his resume. Davis does not. But as they stood there, they agreed: It would be a shame if this core couldn’t deliver a Super Bowl for New Orleans.
Mathieu is from the city. Davis has adopted it as his own. They have to win one together, they said.
There were too many names, too much talent on the defense alone for it to not pay off. And there’s only so much time this aging defensive core realistically has left — themselves included. “We’re conscious of it,” Mathieu said.
This year’s training camp for the New Orleans Saints has been defined by urgency, particularly for those like Mathieu, Davis and Cam Jordan — all of whom are well past the age of 30. Jordan and Davis, two staples of New Orleans’ defense, are 35. Mathieu is 32.
All three have said they feel they have more football left to give, but the realities are that nothing is guaranteed. From the outside, the narrative around this Saints defense isn’t whether they can win the Super Bowl. Rather, the conversation has centered around how much they have left.
For the first time in five years, the Saints weren’t a consensus top 10 defense last season. Some stats put them there – from advanced ones like EPA per play (ninth) to conventional ones like points allowed per game (eighth). But others were less forgiving: New Orleans finished 15th in defensive DVOA, a stat that measures efficiency.
They were 13th in yards against, the team’s lowest rank since 2018. Notably, they struggled in unexpected ways: The pass rush was inconsistent. The run defense, despite the investments made before the season, dropped off as the year went on.
Explosive plays increasingly became a problem. Did the cracks for an aging unit finally start to show? And if they did, will it get worse from here? “Each year the responsibility of a player is to identify weaknesses and keep your strengths sharp,” Davis said. “And that's what I try to do is I try to identify the flaws in my game or areas of opportunity where I can grow and get better.
” To be fair, Davis has done just that. His approach has served him well over the years and there haven’t been any specific signs that he’s slowing down. This week alone he was named the 44th-best player in the NFL in the league’s annual player survey, just one spot lower than the year prior.
He also earned his second straight Pro Bowl nod and his fifth straight selection on an All-Pro team. But 35 is still 35. And each year Davis continues to play, the questions will only increase whether he can maintain his level of productivity.
Jordan, his teammate, saw that happen firsthand last season. The defensive end finished with just two sacks, a staggering dip in production that was partly explained by a severe ankle injury that limited him over the last half of the year. “I don't care what other people think,” Jordan said of people questioning his decline.
“Moral of the story is I was moving quite well the first 10 games, injured myself against Atlanta, and I still went to be on the field. ..
. If I can help the team out, get on first, second down (as a run defender), in my mind, it's easier to rush the passer than it is to stop the run.” Coach Dennis Allen, though, hasn’t shied away from the notion that Jordan has plenty to prove after a disappointing 2023.
“He’s not the only one in that boat,” the coach said. In the defensive end room alone, Allen rattled off questions about every player but Carl Granderson, who the coach praised as someone who’s “earned the right” to be counted on. When Allen reviews film of practice and games, he said he does monitor to see if there’s an actual decline due to age.
But neither that nor stats can tell the whole story, Allen said. He added other variables, such as injuries, must be considered. “Look, we've got a couple of older veteran players that I still think have good football left in them,” Allen said.
“But the reality is that this is the time that you have to show it. We’ve got to see it at some point out of over the course of training camp, preseason, those types of things.” There are moments – big and small – when Mathieu feels his age.
The 32-year-old said he knows he doesn’t run as fast or tackle as hard as he used to, though acknowledge he was never a “gifted” athlete (at least by NFL standards). But even in the locker room, Mathieu has noticed having to cater to younger teammates’ tastes. Mathieu holds the role of locker room DJ, so he finds himself playing Lil’ Baby or NBA Youngboy just to throw them a bone.
“I don't want that to be my vibration early in the morning, but sometimes you got to take one for the team, you know what I mean?” Mathieu said. Like Jordan and Davis, Mathieu takes pride in being able to adapt as he gets older. He was also relatively productive in 2023, too, with four interceptions and nine pass breakups.
Pro Football Focus graded him the 10th best safety in the league. And yet, when he warmed up prior to practice, Mathieu and the linebacker also brought up something else when they chatted about the concept of legacy. They talked about expectations, and how they haven’t lived up to them of late.
“We haven't put something on the field that the city should be proud of,” Davis said, “and that's why we’re here, locked in and we are working.”.
