Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports
By Ross Jackson
NEW ORLEANS, La. – More progress has been made by the New Orleans Saints in filling the massive void left by the retirement of safety Tyrann Mathieu. As previously reported, the Saints are signing veteran safety Julian Blackmon to help bring more veteran experience to the position.
Now, we have contract details, per NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport.
It’s a 1-year deal worth up to $5.5M, sources say. https://t.co/AC3m5UnMtB
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) July 23, 2025
A one-year deal for the safety makes a lot of sense. He’s coming off his fifth season with the Colts and brings strong playmaking ability, posting seven interceptions over the past two years. While injuries have been a factor throughout his college and NFL career, the Saints appear to have already built in protection against that risk.
Per Rapoport, the one-year deal with Blackmon will be “worth up to $5.5 million.” The “up to” phrase typically implies that there will be incentives or elevators in the agreement.
Those could be related to production (i.e. number of interceptions) or playing time (such as percentage of snaps played). That will allow Blackmon the chance to come to New Orleans, vie for a role and then potentially elevate his earnings based on meeting the team’s required benchmarks.
New Orleans has found a veteran presence to bolster its young roster and he’ll still be just 27 when the season kicks off. A solid mid-July addition.
