Saints’ Veteran LB Demario Davis Wants To Return In 2026

Saints LB Demario Davis is set to be an unrestricted free agent this offseason and will be entering the 14th year of his career next season. Davis made clear that he wants to continue his career and would like to be back in New Orleans. 

“I’m excited that this would probably be the earliest that I know I want to continue to play,” Davis said, via Matthew Para of NOLA.com. “[I’m] looking forward to returning.”

Davis does not feel worried about being an impending free agent and is confident a new contract will work itself out. 

“We’re in a game where contracts do matter, but that’s such a small part of your career,” Davis said. “That happens in a little small window in the offseason, once every other year or every couple years. And when that time gets here — man, in 14 years, that’s always worked itself out. It has always worked itself out. I’ve never had to really negotiate a contract. They’ve always negotiated themselves. So when that time gets here, that’s very low on my concern meter right now. I’m focused on finishing the season strong.”

Davis, 36, is a former third-round pick of the Jets back in 2012. He spent four years in New York before signing a two-year, $8 million contract with the Browns that included $4.2 million guaranteed in 2016.

Davis was traded to the Jets in return for S Calvin Pryor back in 2017. From there, he signed a three-year, $24 million deal with the Saints a year later.  

Davis was in the final year of his contract when he agreed to a three-year contract worth $27 million that included $18.35 million guaranteed back in 2020. 

He was set to make a base salary of $10 million in the final year of that deal in 2024 when he agreed to a two-year, $17 million contract. The Saints restructured his contract in March. 

In 2025, Davis has appeared in 16 games for the Saints and recorded 137 tackles, six tackles for loss, 0.5 sacks, three pass defenses, two forced fumbles, and one fumble recovery.