Saints Won’t Conduct Offseason Program

While many NFL teams have kicked off “virtual” offseasons, with players taking part in online meetings and workout sessions, the Saints don’t plan on doing the same. Head coach Sean Payton recently told New Orleans’ players that the club won’t hold a virtual offseason at all, according to Dianna Russini of ESPN.com (Twitter links).

Saints players won’t be required to show up at the team facility even if league rules change. Payton told his players to take care of their families and “show up for training camp in the best shape of [their] lives,” per Russini.

While not holding an offseason program may give Saints players peace of mind, it could have complicated the payment of workout bonuses, which were intended to be earned through the virtual program. As Albert Breer of TheMMQB.com tweets, linebacker Demario Davis is due a $250K workout bonus, while other players like Terron Armstead, Cameron Jordan, and Larry Warford have bonuses of $100K in their contracts.

However, the Saints have already contacted the NFLPA about their plan to not hold virtual sessions, tweets Jane Slater of NFL.com. Players who have workout bonuses will still receive them, per Slater.

View Comments (8)