New Orleans Saints offensive tackle Ryan Ramczyk is technically still with the organization, but the latest change to his contract all but ensures he won’t play another game in the NFL. A first-round pick in the 2017 NFL Draft, the Wisconsin product immediately earned the starting right tackle job and became a fixture on the Saints offensive line. Establishing himself as one of the best in the game, Ramczyk’s career trajectory took a nasty turn for the worst when he suffered a season-ending knee injury in 2023.
Sidelined for the entirety of 2024, Ramczyk hoped to continue his career in 2025, but the latest news heavily suggests that won’t happen. Ryan Ramczyk restructured his contract to reduce his base salary to the league minimum. This will allow him to retire after June 1st without financially destroying the team, as New Orleans can split his reduced cap hit over two years. This means the Saints need a new right tackle, and they could look to Baltimore’s Patrick Mekari in free agency.
Ryan Ramczyk Signals Retirement With Contract Restructure
The New Orleans Saints had arguably the worst offensive line in the NFL outside of New England last year, and Ryan Ramczyk’s absence played a large role in the struggles. Originally projected to start, Ramczyk suffered a setback, forcing then-head coach Dennis Allen to put his faith in first-round bust Trevor Penning. While the Northern Iowa product showed some signs of life early in the year, he ultimately reverted to his career norm. Starting and appearing in all 17 games, the tackle finished the year with a 60.2 PFF grade, the 60th-best mark out of 81 eligible players.
Seeing as Derek Carr will almost certainly be back for another season, New Orleans cannot afford to send out the same abysmal line in 2025. Carr struggles against pressure and the 33-year-old quarterback missed seven games thanks to injuries brought on by his atrocious offensive line. First-round pick Taliese Fuaga has done enough to keep the left tackle job, but the Saints must find an adequate right tackle for the upcoming season. Looking across the league, Baltimore’s Patrick Mekari could be the best fit.
Mekari to New Orleans
Currently $50 million over the salary cap, New Orleans must get creative with how they pursue free agents. While Patrick Mekari isn’t the best tackle on the market, he could give the Saints the best bang for their buck. A versatile player, Mekari spent the early part of the season at right tackle before moving to left guard once second-round rookie Roger Rosengarten came into his own. Mekari didn’t play up to Ryan Ramczyk’s level, but he was an adequate enough starter who should receive a decent contract.
Fortunately for the Saints, most teams will view him as a guard, and guards don’t get paid as much as tackles. If New Orleans views him as a right tackle, the team could outbid the competition without putting themselves into financial ruin. This is, admittedly, nothing more than a short-term solution to a serious problem with the roster, but that’s how General Manager Mickey Loomis tends to handle business. Rather than embrace a rebuild, Loomis has always believed in restructuring contracts for short-term solutions, and there’s no reason to believe he’d change his ways now.
