Report: Former team targeting Saints LB Demario Davis in free agency

Could Demario Davis make a third stop with the Jets? The team that drafted him is expected to make a run at the Saints linebacker in free agency.

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Report: Former team targeting Saints LB Demario Davis in free agency

John Sigler, Saints Wire

Sun, March 1, 2026 at 6:21 PM UTC·
2 min read

Could the third time be the charm for Demario Davis and the New York Jets? Tony Pauline reports for EssentiallySports that Davis is on the Jets' radar going into free agency, and it's easy to see why. His old coach Aaron Glenn struggled to get his new team off the ground in 2025 and Davis would be a respected voice in what had been a discordant locker room. The veteran linebacker has a reputation for hitting hard and leading teams. New York's defense didn't have enough of that last season.

Pauline shared that "Sources also say that the Jets are targeting linebacker Demario Davis, whom the team drafted in the third round of the 2012 draft. The 14-year veteran played for the Jets on two separate occasions and has spent the last eight years with the New Orleans Saints. Though he’s 37 years old, Davis registered a career-best 143 tackles last season."

As always seems to be the case, the Jets figure to be big spenders in free agency with an estimated $88 million in salary cap space. There seems to be a baseline of $9 million per year for linebackers in their late thirties like Davis, Bobby Wagner, and Lavonte David, but the Jets could outbid their competitors if Davis has a strong market. You'd like to think Davis can finish out his career in black and gold, where he's played his best football, but this may be his last chance to earn top dollar. He wouldn't be playing for a Super Bowl in New York but the opportunity to end his career where it started might be appealing. Getting overpaid to do it would certainly make it an easier decision.

So what should the Saints do if they lose Davis? Pete Werner had another inconsistent year but he figures to remain a starter unless the team chooses to trade him. Danny Stutsman had some really nice moments while coming into games off the bench in his rookie year, and Davis moving on would put him in the starting lineup next to Werner. Draft prospects who were seen as fringe top-10 picks like Ohio State linebacker Sonny Styles became a top-10 lock after lighting up the NFL Combine. Maybe he makes it to eighth overall. We'll find out where Davis is playing in just a few weeks.

*This article originally appeared on Saints Wire: NFL free agency: Could Saints LB Demario Davis sign with Jets again?*

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