New Orleans Saints helmetCHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA – SEPTEMBER 19: A New Orleans Saints helmet on the bench before the game against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium on September 19, 2021 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images)
The New Orleans Saints are set to make a surprising offseason move.

According to Bleacher Report’s Jordan Schultz, the team has informed safety Marcus Maye he will be released at the start of the league year on March 13.

The veteran defensive star signed a three-year deal worth $22.5 million with the Saints as a free agent in 2022. However, he has missed 17 games since then, having also appeared in 17, with a suspension having kept him out of three of those games.

Maye will account for $2.41 million in dead money if he is designated a post-June cut and will open up $7.24 million in cap space.

The 30-year-old spent the first five years of his career with the New York Jets, who selected him in the second round of the 2017 NFL Draft.

He has registered 409 tackles, eight interceptions, 28 passes defended, five forced fumbles, and 4.5 sacks in 77 professional outings.