Nathan Shepherd

New Orleans Saints, Defensive Tackle
Age: 32y-4m-28d (Oct 09, 1993)
Exp: 8 Years
Country: US
College: Fort Hays State
Drafted: Round 3 (#72 overall), 2018
Agent(s): Adisa Bakari, Jeffrey Whitney (The Sports & Entertainment Group)
2026 Cap Hit

$6,823,200

2026 Cash

$3,969,000

Career Earnings

$20,874,304

2023-2026 Free Agent (CURRENT)

Nathan Shepherd signed a 3 year, $15,000,000 contract with the New Orleans Saints, including $5,000,000 signing bonus, $10,180,000 guaranteed, and an average annual salary of $5,000,000. In 2026, Shepherd will earn a base salary of $3,969,000, while carrying a cap hit of $6,823,200 and a dead cap value of $6,721,800.
Contract Terms:
3 yr(s) / $15,000,000
Average Salary:
$5,000,000
Signing Bonus:
$5,000,000
GTD at Sign:
$10,180,000
Total GTD:
$10,180,000
Free Agent:
2027 / UFA
MANAGE CONTRACT
Year Age Status Cap HitAnnual Cap % League Cap Cash Annual Cash Cumulative Dead Cap Annual
2023 30 $2,080,000 0.93% $6,080,000 $6,080,000 $10,180,000
2024 31 $2,820,000 1.10% $5,100,000 $11,180,000 $8,600,000
2025 32 $3,610,460 1.29% $5,052,260 $16,232,260 $10,332,260
2026 33 $6,823,200 2.25% $3,969,000 $20,201,260 $6,721,800
2027 34
Void
UFA
 $4,367,600 1.37% - $20,201,260 $4,367,600
2028
Void
 $1,354,200 0.40% - $20,201,260 -
2029
Void
 $659,200 0.18% - $20,201,260 -
Year Age Status Base P5 Salary Signing Proration Restructure Proration Workout Bonus Incentives Likely Cap Hit Cap % League Dead Cap
2023 30 $1,080,000 $1,000,000 - - - $2,080,000 0.93% $10,180,000
2024 31 $1,125,000 $1,000,000 $695,000 - - $2,820,000 1.10% $8,600,000
2025 32 $1,255,000 $1,000,000 $1,354,200 $1,260 - $3,610,460 1.29% $10,332,260
2026 33 $3,969,000 $1,000,000 $1,354,200 - $500,000 $6,823,200 2.25% $6,721,800
2027 34
Void
UFA
 - $1,000,000 $1,354,200 - - $4,367,600 1.37% $4,367,600
2028
Void
 - - $1,354,200 - - $1,354,200 0.40% -
2029
Void
 - - $659,200 - - $659,200 0.18% -
Year Age Status Base P5 Salary Signing Bonus Restructure Bonus Workout Bonus Cash Total Cash Cumulative Cash Remaining
2023 30 $1,080,000 $5,000,000 - - $6,080,000 $6,080,000 $20,201,260
2024 31 $1,125,000 - $3,475,000 - $5,100,000 $11,180,000 $14,121,260
2025 32 $1,255,000 - $3,296,000 $1,260 $5,052,260 $16,232,260 $9,021,260
2026 33 $3,969,000 - - - $3,969,000 $20,201,260 $3,969,000
2027 34
Void
 - - - - - $20,201,260 -
2028 35
Void
 - - - - - $20,201,260 -
2029 36
Void
 - - - - - $20,201,260 -
Contract Notes
  • $10.18M guaranteed (signing bonus + 2023 salary + 2024 salary)
  • 2025 Roster Bonus: $520,000, 5th league day of 2025)
  • 2027-2030 years automatically void the last league day of 2026
  • Playing Time Incentives (cumulative)
    40%: $250,000
    45%: $250,000
  • Sack Incentive
    3.5: $250,000
Source: NFL contract specifics generally collected from verified reports.

2022-2022 Pending Free Agent Extension

Contract Terms:
1 yr(s) / $1,085,000
Average Salary:
$1,085,000
Signing Bonus:
$50,000
GTD at Sign:
$50,000
Total GTD:
$50,000
Free Agent:
2023 / UFA
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2018-2021 Rookie

Contract Terms:
4 yr(s) / $3,875,724
Average Salary:
$968,931
Signing Bonus:
$900,572
GTD at Sign:
$900,572
Total GTD:
$900,572
Free Agent:
2022 / UFA
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Seasons

8 Years

Career Earnings thru 2026

$20,874,304

Earnings w/ Different Teams

2 teams

Earnings Per Year

Year Age Team(s) Status Cash Total Cash Cumulative Awards
2018 25
Active
$1,380,572
$1,380,572
2019 26
Active
$424,472
$1,805,044
2020 27
Active
$818,000
$2,623,044
2021 28
Active
$934,000
$3,557,044
2022 29
Active
$1,085,000
$4,642,044
2023 30
Active
$6,080,000
$10,722,044
2024 31
Active
$5,100,000
$15,822,044
2025 32
Active
$5,052,260
$20,874,304
Total      
$20,874,304
$20,874,304
2026 33
Active
$3,969,000
Total
$24,843,304

Earnings Per Team

Years Team Base Signing Roster Restructure Option Incentives Cash Cumulative
5 $3,691,472 $950,572 - - - - $4,642,044
3 $3,460,000 $5,000,000 - $6,771,000 $1,260 $1,000,000 $16,232,260
Year Team(s) Age Base Signing Roster Restructure Option Workout Incentives Cash Total Cash Cumulative
2018
25
$480,000
$900,572
$1,380,572
$1,380,572
2019
26
$424,472
$424,472
$1,805,044
2020
27
$818,000
$818,000
$2,623,044
2021
28
$934,000
$934,000
$3,557,044
2022
29
$1,035,000
$50,000
$1,085,000
$4,642,044
2023
30
$1,080,000
$5,000,000
$6,080,000
$10,722,044
2024
31
$1,125,000
$3,475,000
$500,000
$5,100,000
$15,822,044
2025
32
$1,255,000
$3,296,000
$1,260
$500,000
$5,052,260
$20,874,304
Total
$7,151,472
$5,950,572
$6,771,000
$1,260
$1,000,000
$20,874,304
$20,874,304
2026
33
$3,969,000
$3,969,000
Total
$11,120,472
$5,950,572
$6,771,000
$1,260
$1,000,000
$24,843,304

Earnings Per Team

Years Team Base Signing Roster Restructure Option Incentives Cash Cumulative
5 $3,691,472 $950,572 - - - - $4,642,044
3 $3,460,000 $5,000,000 - $6,771,000 $1,260 $1,000,000 $16,232,260
  • Mar 10, 2025 Signed a 1 year $8.52 million contract extension with New Orleans (NO)
  • Nov 01, 2024 Fined $11,817 Unsportsmanlike Conduct against Los Angeles (LAC)
  • Feb 24, 2024 Converted $2.975M of 2024 salary into signing bonus, adding 1 void year, clearing $2.38M of cap space with New Orleans (NO)
  • Mar 15, 2023 Signed a 3 year $15 million contract with New Orleans (NO)
  • Mar 15, 2022 Signed a 1 year $1.085 million contract extension with New York (NYJ)
  • Sep 10, 2019 Suspended 6 games for violating the league's PED policy, forfeiting $318,681 in 2019 salary & bonus with New York (NYJ)
  • May 18, 2018 Signed a 4 year $3.875 million contract with New York (NYJ)
  • Apr 27, 2018 Drafted by New York (NYJ): Round 3 (#72 overall)

Fines

Date Reason Fine Amount
Jan 10, 2025 Facemask against TAmpa Bay (TB) $11,255
Nov 01, 2024 Unsportsmanlike Conduct against Los Angeles (LAC) $11,817
Fines: 2 $23,072

Suspensions

Date Reason Games Suspended Fine Amount
Sep 10, 2019 PEDS 6 $318,681
Suspensions: 1 $318,681
Year Team GP GS Snaps Snaps% Sack Tackles Total Tackles Solo Tackles Assisted FFum Int
2025 NO 16 8 696 61.92 3 47 23 24 1 0
2024 NO 16 13 568 52.25 2 37 16 21 0 0
2023 NO 17 17 594 56.52 4 50 27 23 0 0
2022 NYJ 17 3 417 37.53 2 33 16 17 0 0
2021 NYJ 17 1 494 45.53 0 28 17 11 0 0
2020 NYJ 14 3 336 33.97 3 17 8 9 0 0
2019 NYJ 9 0 234 20.80 2 11 6 5 0 0
2018 NYJ 16 5 344 30.70 0 15 5 10 0 0
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