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Older Saints players are representing New Orleans in CBS Sports’ top 100 ranking

The New Orleans Saints still have several elite players on the roster, but everyone knows the team’s best players are also the team’s oldest players.

By Jaleel Grandberry

Oct 8, 2023; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; New Orleans Saints safety Tyrann Mathieu (32) reacts with linebacker Demario Davis (56) after scoring a touchdown against the New England Patriots during the first half at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Fluharty-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 8, 2023; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; New Orleans Saints safety Tyrann Mathieu (32) reacts with linebacker Demario Davis (56) after scoring a touchdown against the New England Patriots during the first half at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Fluharty-USA TODAY Sports / Brian Fluharty-USA TODAY Sports
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It’s no secret that the New Orleans Saints are an older football team. While the team has young productive players like Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed, the bulk of the production in New Orleans comes from well established veteran players. That fact is also the reason the Saints are always in a fight with the salary cap.

Fortunately, the older players in New Orleans are still really good. While many veterans throughout the league fade as they age, the older guys for the Saints are playing some of the best football of their careers.

That was evident in CBS Sports’ recent ranking of the top 100 players entering the 2024 season. Senior writer Pete Prisco made his argument for players one to 100, and several honorable mentions. Representing New Orleans were Demario Davis at 50 and Tyrann Mathieu at 92. Paulson Adebo was also highlighted as an honorable mention.

Demario Davis and Tyrann Mathieu ranked as top 100 players by CBS Sports

Demario Davis, who is entering year 13, has been playing the best football of his career in recent years, making his first two Pro Bowls the last two seasons. The 35-year-old linebacker was ranked 50th on the list, and Prisco pointed out that Davis excels against the run and the past.

It’s also clear that this wasn’t a reputation ranking, because Davis wasn’t ranked on this list a year ago. A 2023 season that saw him play in all 17 games, recording 121 tackles, 12 for a loss, 6.5 sacks, 11 quarterback hits, and one forced fumble, landed him on the list.

Tyrann Mathieu, on the other hand, was ranked at No. 81 on last year’s list but is at 92 now. Prisco explained that Mathieu, now 32, still has a knack for the ball, and can play at any level defensively— hovering around the line of scrimmage and deep in the secondary. Like Davis, Mathieu also started all 17 games in 2023, and he recorded 75 tackles and four interceptions that he returned for 122 yards and a touchdown.

Davis and Mathieu will continue to lead the Saints in 2024, but New Orleans will also be hoping that some young players emerge so they can take the baton from the team’s older players, and lead them into the future.

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