About a week ago, a bunch of NFL teams still needed to clear space to get under the salary cap before Week 1 kicked off.
The New Orleans Saints don’t play until Sunday, but they took care of the main portion of that business on Wednesday.
According to Spotrac, the Saints have restructured the contract of Davon Godchaux. It helps solve the reality that they had to make at least one move like this before they get the season underway Sunday in Detroit against the Lions.
What Did They Do?
The Saints have converted $5.15 million of Godchaux’s salary into a signing bonus, per Spotrac.
That adds a void year to his contract.
The move created $4.12 million of 2026 cap space for the Saints, who a week ago needed to clear about $6 million — so this takes care of most of that.
“The 31-year-old is on an expiring contract that holds $6M of voidable dead cap next March,” Spotrac wrote on X about Godchaux.
Godchaux signed his current contract with the Saints before the 2025 season. At the time, it was a reported two-year, $11 million deal.
Who Is Davon Godchaux?
Davon Godchaux is a 31-year old defensive tackle who measures up at 6-foot-3 and 330 pounds.
He was originally a fifth-round pick by the Miami Dolphins in the 2017 NFL Draft out of LSU, and he grew up in Louisiana, so being back with the Saints is a big deal for him.
Godchaux spent his first four NFL seasons with the Dolphins, appearing in 52 games and making 179 tackles with 3.0 sacks. He made 75 tackles in 2019, a huge number for a guy considered a nose tackle on the interior of the defensive line.
After Miami, Godchaux went to the New England Patriots for four seasons. He appeared in 68 games with the Pats, tallying 250 tackles.
Godchaux joined the Saints for the 2025 season. He got into all 17 regular season games, starting 14 of them. Godchaux totaled 43 tackles in his first year in New Orleans, including two tackles for loss.
At this point, Godchaux brings that great trait of giving a team exactly what they’re expecting out of a veteran player.
The Saints will still have to decide what they’re doing with Godchaux after this season, because his contract restructure isn’t an extension but instead just a reallocation of money. But for now, he’ll remain a key piece of what they do in 2026.
In their base 3-4 defense, Godchaux is crucial in helping to anchor the defensive line. He can also serve as a mentor to 2026 second-round pick Chritsen Miller.
New Orleans doesn’t exactly have a potent defensive line beyond the leadership of Cameron Jordan, who moves around some in his positioning at this point in his career. Godchaux can help be a second experienced presence to try and set the tone for the Saints up front.
Saints Roster Move Saves $4.12 Million