New Orleans Saints sign Willie Gay Jr. to one-year contract

Former Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Willie Gay Jr. has found a new home in the short-term after wrapping up his rookie deal with K.C. as news broke he will sign a one-year contract with the New Orleans Saints.

According to NFL reporter Mike Garafolo, Gay's contract is worth up to $5 million for the 2024 season.

In New Orleans, Gay will be surrounded by several former Chiefs players including Tyrann Mathieu, Khalen Saunders, and Tanoh Kpassagnon.

The Chiefs linebacker has found a new home in the NFL after hitting free agency.

Gay joined the Chiefs as a second-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft class, the same rookie class that helped establish the foundation of the team's bright young defensive core. L'Jarius Sneed and Mike Danna were both part of the same rookie crop and all three are looking for their big payday after taking the Chiefs to the summit.

After years of flirting with free agents to fill in (pitifully) at linebacker, the Chiefs began a slow overhaul at the position with high-level draft picks in consecutive seasons. Gay was the first and established a new ceiling for athleticism at the position. From there, Nick Bolton and Leo Chenal would join the group and turn the weakest position into one of the roster's strengths.

It's quite possible the Chiefs would have been interested in bringing back Gay at the right price, but the team fell for Drue Tranquill after signing him to a one-year deal last spring to round out the position. After a stellar season, the Chiefs locked up Tranquill on a three-year deal before free agency started and that spelled the end of Gay's tenure with the Chiefs.

Gay played in 57 games and started 47 of them in four seasons with the Chiefs. Last year, he had 58 total tackles, 3 fumble recoveries, 4 pass deflections, and 1 interception for K.C.