The New Orleans Saints have locked in one of their young defensive standouts for the foreseeable future.
Pete Werner, 25, has been locked in for a 3-year extension, a deal announced by the team Thursday morning. The news was first reported by ESPN’s Adam Schefter, with the extension worth a maximum of $25 million, with $17.5 million guaranteed.
The deal for Werner, a 2nd round pick out of Ohio State in the 2021 draft, is a sign of his strong start to the 2024 training camp cycle. He went in appearing to be in a roster battle with free agent linebacker Willie Gay, but has stood out and made plays all over the field, gaining praise from coaches in the process.
The deal addresses one of the three top players from that draft class entering contract years. That group also includes Payton Turner, with the team not picking up his 5th year option, and Paulson Adebo, a third round pick out of Stanford. The deal also adds some long-term stability in a linebacker room that is still led by 35-year-old Demario Davis.
Werner has been a mainstay of the Saints' defensive lineups since his rookie season, primarily at the Will linebacker spot, and has appeared in 43 games, starting 15 of them. In that span he's logged 235 tackles (152 solo), to go with 11 tackles for loss and 4 passes defensed. The young LB dealt with injuries in the 2022 season but bounced back with a career high in tackles (93) in the 2023 season, along with his first career sack and interception.
The Saints enter the 2024 season with the expectation that they will continue to be led by a strong defense, which has added a handful of key free agents, including Gay and former No. 2 overall pick Chase Young at defensive end. They also appear on the precipice of adding All Pro safety Justin Simmons, with the former Denver Broncos standout visiting with the team this week.
The Saints are back to practice on Thursday before traveling to Arizona on Friday ahead of their preseason opener.
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