The New Orleans Saints have secured a vital piece of their offensive line for the foreseeable future. Center Erik McCoy and the Saints agreed to a five-year extension.

Erik McCoy’s contract extension will keep him under contract with the Saints for the next five seasons.

According to NFL Network's Mike Garafolo, the deal is worth up to $63.75 million. It also includes over $40 million in guarantees.

The Saints added McCoy in the second round of the 2019 NFL draft. Since then, he has been a foundational piece of their unit. He has started 44 games throughout his career, including all 16 in each of his first two seasons. Injuries limited McCoy in 2021, as he missed games for the first time in his career. In total, he was out for five games last season.

While dealing with injuries, Erik McCoy recorded a PFF offensive grade of 63.6.

But the Saints are clearly high on their 25-year-old center. His contract extension puts him in the top-five highest-paid centers on a per-year basis. Along with this, he is the highest-paid center to never make a pro bowl appearance.

Erik McCoy will be playing alongside James Hurst, Andrus Peat, Cesar Ruiz, and Ryan Ramczyk. Expectations will be high for this unit once again. The Saints have regularly put out above-average offensive lines, and this group could be the same.

With a week one matchup coming against the Atlanta Falcons, Erik McCoy and the Saints' offensive front will immediately be put to the test. But all signs point to them being able to be up for the challenge yet again.